NORRIS DOMINATES MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX TO TAKE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
Lando Norris took a dominant flag-to-flag win at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the new Drivers’ Championship leader by just one point. The McLaren driver finished ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen after an exciting and eventful race.
After taking pole position on Saturday, Norris started the race in the perfect spot. His championship rivals, Verstappen and Piastri, began further back in fifth and seventh, meaning Norris had a chance to leave Mexico as the new points leader.
At the start, several drivers fought for position into Turn 1. Verstappen went off onto the grass, while Leclerc briefly took the lead before giving it back to Norris since he had also cut the corner. After the dust settled, Norris led from Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, and Russell.
Behind them, there was chaos. Lawson had to pit for a new front wing after early contact, while Hamilton and Verstappen had a close fight that caught the stewards’ attention. Hamilton was later given a 10-second time penalty for going off track and gaining an advantage.
By Lap 18, Norris was comfortably ahead, more than seven seconds clear of Leclerc, and looked in full control. Verstappen and others who started on the medium tyres began to struggle to keep pace with those on the softer compound.
As pit stops began, Antonelli was the first of the front-runners to stop, followed by Hamilton, who served his penalty. Soon, most of the field had changed tyres, with Norris keeping his lead even after his pit stop on Lap 35.
Mechanical problems hit several drivers: Hulkenberg and Alonso retired mid-race, and later Sainz received multiple penalties for speeding in the pit lane before retiring as well.
As the race went on, the battles continued. Russell and Antonelli swapped places at Mercedes, and Piastri fought hard to move up the order, overtaking several cars to reach fifth place.
By Lap 66, Norris had built a huge 29-second lead over Leclerc, while Verstappen closed in on the Ferrari for second. Behind them, Bearman was holding off Piastri for fourth.
A late Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Sainz’s Ferrari stopped on track, freezing the field temporarily. It ended just before the final lap, allowing one last burst of action, but no changes in position at the front.
Norris crossed the line to claim his 10th career win, finishing 30 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Verstappen came in third, less than a second behind the Ferrari. Bearman finished an impressive fourth, followed by Piastri in fifth.
Antonelli and Russell took sixth and seventh for Mercedes, with Hamilton, Ocon, and rookie Bortoleto rounding out the top 10.
After this result, Norris now leads the Drivers’ Championship by just one point over Piastri. The next race will be the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos from November 7 to 9.
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