Mexican GP Recap: “Aussie Grit” Fails Piastri as Teammate Lando Norris Wins, Takes Driver's Championship Lead
- Rohan Singh
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
ROHAN SINGH - STAFF WRITER
It’s finally happening! There are only four races left in the 2025 Formula One season, and Lando Norris has managed to achieve the impossible.
The Briton, who entered the year as the title favorite after nearly dethroning Max Verstappen last December, was lagging behind severely in the driver's championship for much of the season. Some fans had already counted him out of contention. However, against all odds, Norris now leads the championship by a single point over Oscar Piastri after a dominant victory in the Mexican Grand Prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The competition between the papaya teammates is only going to get more intense now.
In a race filled with frustrations and multiple infractions of drivers cutting corners, Norris, Leclerc, and Verstappen managed to clinch the podium, although some would debate whether they really deserved their finishes after their antics with the chicanes. The Mexican Grand Prix also witnessed something that is considered a bane in Formula One racing: the booing of a driver. Lando Norris’ victory was apparently not good enough to earn the appreciation of the fans who booed him throughout the celebration.
Qualifying: Flying Ferraris and Piastri's Disappointing Performance
Ferrari fans had something to look forward to this weekend after a strong showing at COTA. The SF25s were incredibly fast throughout the weekend, and during the qualifying session, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were gunning for pole position. Even though Norris had the final laugh at the end of Q3, at one point, it felt like the Ferraris might get a front-row lockout.
While one McLaren was outperforming the field, there was another McLaren that was being
outpaced by many. For the first time all season, Oscar Piastri seemed completely out of form. He was unable to set a better time than his competitors. He wasn’t even remotely competitive this weekend during the qualifying session. Even the slower cars like Mercedes and Red Bull Racing managed to claim a better starting position than him.
Qualifying was also a positive sign for the rookies who managed to find a spot in the Top-10 while the veterans battled it out on track. Kimi Antonelli was P6, Isack Hadjar was P9, and Oliver Bearman was P10. Even Carlos Sainz managed to slot his Williams in P7. However, the Spaniard dropped to P12 because of a penalty.
The Race: Chaos Ensues in Turn 1 as Championship Rivals Change Hands Atop Standings
Lewis Hamilton would be the go-to driver if you really want to understand the true extent of the race start. Apparently, all the drivers decided that it was a good time to run off track and cut chicanes while they were racing. Now, the top-3 drivers were able to get away with it, but Hamilton got caught being naughty by the FIA. The seven-time champion was slapped with a 10-second penalty, which effectively robbed him and Ferrari of another podium, much to his frustration.
The complaints were echoed by both George Russell and Fernando Alonso, who threw shade at the FIA for being too inconsistent with the penalties. While I want to refrain from commenting, it is obvious that there were multiple errors during the Grand Prix, including the calling of cautions, which forced a deep mistrust among the drivers for the race director. The race ended under a questionable virtual safety car with Verstappen gunning for second behind Leclerc, while there was nothing of the sort earlier in the race when Liam Lawson nearly hit two track workers cleaning up debris under green flag conditions.
The race wasn’t as frustrating for the driver in the spotlight, Oliver Bearman, who produced his best result in Formula 1 with a fourth place finish. At one point, the young rookie was trying to go toe-to-toe with Max Verstappen for the last step on the podium. It was a good weekend for Haas, who were able to claim a double points finish with Esteban Ocon in P9. Even Gabriel Bortoleto clinched a point from the weekend by finishing in the Top 10.
However, nobody was stopping Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri was non-existent, ultimately placing fifth. The weekend was showed the chinks in the armor of Piastri, who has been controlling the championship since the start of the season, but has been bleeding points the last few weeks, and now finds himself one tick back of Norris. The Aussie needs to lock in and focus on the upcoming weekends with 116 points up for grabs before the driver's champion is crowned.