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Max Verstappen heads to Mexico with a 40-point deficit to Oscar Piastri, after clawing back 64 points in just four races. The Dutch driver knows he must be perfect all the way to Abu Dhabi if he wants a shot at winning the World Championship:
"We’re enjoying the moment. Everyone thought the title fight would be between the two McLaren drivers, so it’s already remarkable that it isn’t. Even if we don’t complete the comeback, we can take satisfaction from the fact that we’ve turned things around in terms of performance at this stage of the season. I know I have to be perfect - we’ll see what happens and where this positive trend takes us".
Verstappen is aware that Mexico will be a real battle:
"The track has very little grip and it’s easy to make mistakes. We’ll have to work well to arrive in qualifying ready to play our cards".
Lando Norris also arrives in Mexico with 14 points to make up on the Australian driver. Norris confirms there will be no team orders at McLaren. To fight for the title, both he and Piastri will be free to race each other - within the team’s usual internal rules:
"Team orders? No, nothing changes. We want to win - both of us - and we know there are others around us too. But I think we know how to work together, and also how to race each other. I think we’ve had the right approach so far, and we’ll keep it that way. I go into every race with the goal of winning. It’s been a while since we’ve done that, but you can look at it two ways: I’ve always gained points on those ahead, but also lost points to those behind. Maybe I haven’t had perfect weekends, but I’ve been pushing the car to the limit almost every time - and that’s not easy, especially given the characteristics of our car. I’ve been consistent in terms of results, and that’s definitely a positive".
Oscar Piastri needs to rediscover himself if he wants to defend his championship lead from the charge of Norris and the comeback of Verstappen. The Australian has shown some signs of pressure in recent races, but Mexico offers him a chance to turn the page and silence the critics with a strong performance:
"The presence of Lando and Max doesn’t change my approach. Obviously the gap has shrunk a bit over the past few races, but for me, the focus has always been on maximum speed throughout the weekend. Some weekends it’s worked, others not so much, but that’s what we’re concentrating on. If I can do a good enough job at mastering everything each weekend, the rest will take care of itself. Hunter or hunted? Both have pros and cons. Everyone loves an underdog story or a comeback, but I prefer having the advantage in the standings. I’ve always said I like being in front — it means you’re doing a good job. We’ve done many things very well this season, and there’s still room to improve. I’m capable of winning a championship. I’ve won before, but that doesn’t mean I’ll automatically win again. Those experiences help, but in the end, I just need to be as fast as possible. It’s not simple to execute, but the plan is quite straightforward".
No fear, then, of Verstappen’s resurgence:
"It’s not something I think about, really. It’s true that he’s been very consistent over the past few years — he’s always been strong, no denying that. But for me, there’s no benefit in worrying about it. What will help me win the championship is getting the most out of myself, the car, and the team. Worrying about someone else would only distract me from what’s under my control. He’s there and he’s in the fight, but it doesn’t change how I approach the races. I also thought the fight would be between me and Lando — everyone did. But the form he’s shown since Monza has been impressive. There were flashes of that level earlier in the season, but also big dips. Seeing that consistency from them has been a bit of a surprise. They’ve clearly kept working on the car, trying to improve it. It’s not a huge shock, but I think his comeback has happened faster than most expected".
Piastri also clarifies there will be no lingering tension from Austin, nor penalties for Norris after their Singapore contact:
"We reviewed what happened in Austin. I think there’s some degree of responsibility on my side in the Sprint. Lando and I will start from zero - we’ll just focus on racing and see who comes out on top. The repercussions have been removed; that’s the decision".
Charles Leclerc heads to Mexico fresh off a podium in the U.S., a top-three result built over a strong weekend capped by an attacking race on Soft tyres. However, the Monegasque knows that even with a perfect weekend, third place was the maximum:
"Us, arbiters of the championship? No, we don’t have the pace to fight McLaren and Red Bull Racing. Better to keep our feet on the ground - in Texas we finished third, but we did everything perfectly".
In FP1, Leclerc will have his close friend Antonio Fuoco alongside him in the Ferrari garage, taking Lewis Hamilton’s place as part of the young driver sessions:
"I have a special relationship with Antonio - we were together in the Ferrari Driver Academy and in F2 with Prema in 2017. He’s very important for us in simulator work, and it’s vital for these drivers to get real-world feedback in the car to improve the work they do virtually".
Lewis Hamilton is still chasing his first podium as a Ferrari driver in 2025. However, the Brit is satisfied with the progress he’s making in integrating within the team after the summer break:
"I feel we’re going in the right direction. Rome wasn’t built in a day - it takes time to build. Being my first year with the team, I wanted to be respectful of how things have been done in the past, just observing and seeing our strengths and weaknesses. I think you’re starting to see some of the impact from the work we’re doing behind the scenes. The team is responding, and I hope that shows in next year’s car. The SF-25 is a car I didn’t help develop, but hopefully for 2026 my input will be built into the car. I think we’re really making progress as a team and have a great relationship, especially since the summer break. Things have started to click - it’s about building trust and communication. Of course, I’ve joined a team where English isn’t the first language, and I don’t speak Italian, so it’s about finding common ground. But we all want to win. We’re all here for the same goal, and we just need to keep pushing. That’s why I try to keep everyone motivated through tough weekends. This year we’ve made a lot of changes that I suggested - things that weren’t done before - so they’ve listened. But change doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time to build. As engineers, they need evidence - they need data. That’s how they work. So sometimes you have to push hard to get certain changes made".
If, in theory, Ferrari plays the role of the third force behind McLaren and Red Bull Racing, team principal Frédéric Vasseur is not setting specific goals. Instead, he insists on executing the weekend well and wants to see from the team the same level of focus that led to the good result in Austin.
"In Austin, thanks to great teamwork and the support of the people at the factory in Maranello, we managed to complete one of the most solid weekends of the season. It’s important to maintain this high level of concentration and determination for the final part of the year. Mexico presents very different challenges, mainly due to the altitude, which affects cooling, power unit performance, aerodynamics, and tire behavior. The key will be to find the right balance among all these factors. The atmosphere in Mexico is always incredible, thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of the fans, who make themselves heard throughout the weekend".
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is looking for redemption in Mexico, the track where he completed his first-ever Formula 1 session last year:
"It was a shame about that contact - we were both in a good position and ended up out of the race. We have different views on the incident, but we’ll move on. I went through a tough stretch during the European season: the results weren’t coming, and I let frustration get the better of me. I realised I wasn’t focusing on the right things - on the fundamentals and the procedures. I was obsessed with the final result, and that only made things worse. After Monza, I met with the team and we agreed something had to change. Since then, my approach has been very different. Now I’m much more focused on proper driving and putting everything together".
After Austin, George Russell complained that Formula 1 races are now often decided on the first lap, with overtakes becoming rarer. Antonelli agrees with his teammate:
"Will we see few overtakes after Turn 1? It’s my first time in Mexico, but you can definitely feel the difference between clean air and turbulence. That’s also because Pirelli has improved the tyres - stronger compounds allow longer stints, less degradation, and with the cars’ pace being so close, it’s really hard to gain an advantage. Even if you’re two-tenths faster, it’s very difficult to pass. In Singapore, Charles had some issues and even with a big pace advantage I was stuck behind him. As George said, qualifying is extremely important".
On Friday, October 24, 2025, while all the stand-ins were keen to impress, the likes of Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull) and Paul Aron (Alpine) took to the track with greater emphasis as the possibility of graduating to the championship next season remains within their grasps. Esteban Ocon's 1'20"934 initially left him top of the times as dust was cleared from the circuit in the early stages, with lap times continuing to drop as Isack Hadjar and Antonelli traded top spot between themselves. Piastri became the first driver to dip below the 1'20"0 barrier, the Australian setting a 1'19"035 and the first driver to use the soft tyre after just 25 minutes of action, which left him nearly one second clear of the field initially. Leclerc briefly occupied top spot as proceedings reached the halfway point with a 1'18"895, before Piastri and then Antonelli went quicker, the Italian leaving the benchmark as a 1'18"487 on the red-walled tyres. Leclerc reasserted himself with the fastest time . a 1'18"380 - which would finish as the sessions's best from Antonelli, with Piastri splitting the two Sauber's of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. Lindblad was the best of the stand-in drivers and finished sixth at the wheel of Max Verstappen's RB21, just six-tenths behind Leclerc as Red Bull brought a new floor and cooling package to Mexico this weekend. Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull was eighth behind Ocon, as Franco Colapinto (Alpine) and Alex Albon (Williams) completed the top 10. Following a spell in the garage as the team worked on his car, Antonelli returned to the track to resume his programme. Alex Albon, meanwhile, tapped the wall out of Turn 16 with his Williams as he - and many others in the field - switched to the soft tyre as focus switched to flying laps. As those flying runs came in, Leclerc looked to have held onto P1 by the halfway point of the session, with many of his rivals struggling to get close - but Verstappen proved to be the one to beat the Monegasque’s time by 0.153s after pumping in an effort of 1'17"392. Hamilton had looked on course for a quick time, having matched Verstappen’s lap in the first sectors before losing time later on. Elsewhere, the McLaren pair of Norris and Oscar Piastri were both around eight-tenths adrift in P7 and P8 respectively, the duo having been outpaced by the likes of Russell, Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz. Improvements followed as the session progressed, with Antonelli slotting into third on his slightly out-of-sync run plan from his team mate, while Norris moved up to fourth and Hamilton claimed fifth on his second attempt. Verstappen, meanwhile, appeared satisfied with his soft-shod effort, having returned to the pits and bolted on a set of medium tyres before returning to the track for a race simulation run. In the other Red Bull, Tsunoda asked the team to check the floor of his car after taking quite a bit of kerb. While the likes of Leclerc joined Verstappen in switching to the C4 medium compound, many remained on the C5 soft for their longer runs. One of these to stay on the latter was Piastri, the Australian sitting down in P12 on the timesheets on a weekend where he will be looking to bounce back from some trickier outings of late.
"I have no grip - it is like driving on ice".
Verstappen radioed in after a slide on the medium tyres, with Russell also reporting struggles with the rears on his Mercedes. For the final minutes of the session, Verstappen returned to the soft rubber while others encountered traffic, with Antonelli voicing frustration after locking up behind Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson. As the chequered flag fell - amid a busy end to the session that witnessed a few close run-ins - Verstappen remained on top thanks to his earlier effort of 1'17"392, putting the reigning World Champion ahead of Leclerc and Antonelli. Norris was the lead McLaren in fourth, with Hamilton, Russell, Tsunoda, Alonso, Sainz and Lance Stroll completing the top 10. Max Verstappen was fastest in the second free practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix, but the Dutch driver wasn’t entirely satisfied, as his car showed excellent one-lap pace but disappointing race performance:
"We managed to do a good lap on the soft tyres, but the rest wasn’t great. The medium-tyre runs weren’t good, and the main issue is the long runs - we seem to be struggling a lot, which is worrying for the race. The balance isn’t bad, but there’s no grip, and that’s the main concern. As soon as we do a run with some fuel on board, the car overheats and we can’t go anywhere - that’s difficult. You can be quick over one lap, but you won’t have the pace in the race, and obviously I’d rather be fast on Sunday. It’s going to be tough, so we need to take a close look and analyse everything".
His race engineer Giampiero Lambiase added:
"The challenge we’re working on right now is finding the right balance between the internal and surface temperatures of the tyres. We’re not very happy with tyre degradation or thermal management. We need to work to get the result we want and need".
The second free practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix did little to dispel doubts about Oscar Piastri’s current struggles. The Australian finished only P12 in FP2, while Lando Norris (P4) impressed with his race pace. Piastri, on the other hand, appeared off the pace compared to his two championship pursuers:
"Overall, it was a decent session. The low-fuel lap was average - I’m not too surprised by the time. I tried a lot of things, and we’ll have to review what worked and what didn’t. Overall, I felt reasonably good, and we’ll see what we can use for tomorrow, trying to be a bit more consistent. Austin? Yes, we identified a few things - it was definitely a messy weekend for us, but we found several small issues that, when put together, make a big difference. So we think we’ve understood quite well what happened. Red Bull and McLaren on the same level? Yes, I think so. We’ll be close as always, but we believe we’ve got a good car to work with".
Charles Leclerc had a promising first day in Mexico, topping FP1 and finishing second in FP2 - a solid start made even more enjoyable by the presence of his friend Antonio Fuoco in the Ferrari garage:
"I was really happy to have Antonio by my side this morning. We grew up together in the Ferrari Driver Academy, and sharing the garage with him was very special. We were teammates in junior categories and have great memories together, both on and off the track. It was very useful to have him in the car for FP1 to carry out various tests and collect data, given the important simulator work he does throughout the year. I hope he had fun".
Leclerc remains realistic ahead of Saturday’s sessions, where he expects his rivals to make a step forward:
"We managed to put together some interesting laps, and overall I had good feelings from the car. But our rivals are strong, so at the moment it doesn’t seem realistic to stay ahead of them tomorrow. We’ll build on today’s work and try to make some improvements to close the gap ahead of qualifying".
Lewis Hamilton ended FP2 in fifth place, just 0.3s off Verstappen, after sitting out FP1 to let Fuoco drive:
"I think Antonio did a great job this morning. We gathered valuable information from his work on track, which I really appreciated - it was nice to see him driving during FP1. The second session was a bit more challenging over one lap, as the pace didn’t seem particularly strong, but on race runs we were more consistent. There’s still potential to unlock, and we’ll do our best to be in a stronger position for FP3 and qualifying".
Andrea Kimi Antonelli also enjoyed a strong start to the weekend. The Italian driver was P2 in FP1 and followed up with P3 in FP2, despite encountering a few issues. The Mercedes rookie admitted as much after the session:
"It was a good day - I felt comfortable in the car right from the start. Honestly, FP2 went a bit worse than FP1 because I had an issue at the beginning of the session. That compromised the programme a bit, as we tried to change the car setup and found it harder to attack the kerbs - it was more difficult than this morning. There’s a lot of work to do tonight, but we’ve started off in the right way".
It was a mixed but productive Friday overall for Antonelli, who remained satisfied with the work done in Mexico City:
"We tried to stick to the plan in both FP1 and FP2. FP2 was a bit compromised, but in FP1 we only did one lap on softs to focus on the long run, so overall it was a good day. We gathered a lot of data, and now we’ll focus on tomorrow".
The next challenge will be qualifying, which will require particular attention:
"It’ll be important to follow the track evolution because grip was quite low this morning and didn’t improve much in FP2. So finding the right compromise will be key, and we’ll have to improve - tomorrow will be very tight".
The practice sessions held in Mexico were quite unusual, with many young drivers taking to the track for their respective teams. Among them, stopwatch in hand, no one did better than Arvid Lindblad - the young British Red Bull talent who set the sixth-fastest time of the session, beating Yuki Tsunoda in the sister car by almost a tenth. The result is significant because the 2007-born driver is considered a strong candidate for a Racing Bulls seat next season. Helmut Marko expressed great appreciation for the young British talent, who, before the session, had been instructed with one simple - and understandable - mantra, don’t damage Verstappen’s car:
"For Arvid it was a very difficult situation - he was told not to do anything wrong, not to have any accidents - but he still performed excellently. He was the fastest rookie, and I have to say his technical feedback really impressed us. We’re very happy with what he did. Announcements? We’ve received some answers, but I can’t yet tell you what the driver pairings will be. We’ll wait a little longer before deciding".
Finally, Marko couldn’t resist a comment on Max Verstappen’s title chances, as the Dutchman continues his impressive climb up the standings:
"Why can he win? First of all, because he’s the fastest and best driver - and also because our car is competitive again, and mentally he’s incredibly strong".
On Saturday, October 25, 2025, Max Verstappen, who is unhappy with his race pace on Friday, is the first driver to set a time in Saturday's one-hour session, but it takes until well after the opening 10 minutes for the majority of the field to head out on track. Hamilton is immediately pushing the limits, the Ferrari driver running slightly deep at Turn 4 on his first flying lap, before then taking to the grass at Turn 1 at the start of his next attempt. Approaching the 15-minute mark, Carlos Sainz jumps to the top of the times after being the first driver to use a set of soft Pirelli tyres, his 1'18"028 remaining as the benchmark approaching the halfway point. Hamilton once again runs deep at Turn 4, as does Norris on his first flying lap, the McLaren driver slotting into third behind Sainz and Verstappen with his next attempt as the 20 drivers struggle to avoid traffic around the relatively short 2.67-mile circuit. Still on a set of medium tyres, Norris moves to the top of the times with a 1'18"015, with teammate Piastri posting a lap just moments later, which leaves him more than four-tenths adrift as the Australian struggles to get up to speed in the session compared with his title rival. As the session enters its second phase, Verstappen is deep into a race simulation on the medium tyre, with Russell complaining that he is sliding all over the place on the yellow-walled tyre, as the top six, including Norris, Sainz, Russell, Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Isack Hadjar, are covered by 0.065s at one stage. Alex Albon suffers two big lock-ups into Turn 13, thwarting his early attempts on the soft tyre as he reports it feels weird, with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli running over the exit kerb at Turn 12 when also on a flying lap as the focus shifts towards Qualifying simulations. Russell becomes the first driver to dip below the 1'18"0 barrier, the Mercedes driver setting a 1'17"892 that is soon bested by Hadjar and then Piastri, the Drivers' Championship leader lowering the benchmark to a 1'17"315 with less than 15 minutes remaining. The times continue to come down, Leclerc and Antonelli both jump to the top briefly, before Hamilton becomes the first driver to go below the 1'17"0 barrier this weekend with a 1'16"978, only to lose top spot to Norris' 1'16"633 that remains fastest at the chequered flag. Behind Hamilton and Russell, Leclerc leads Piastri, who finishes six-tenths adrift of Norris, with Verstappen and Antonelli less than one-tenth further back, the Red Bull driver complaining of no grip, front and rear. Hadjar (Racing Bulls), Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda, and Kick Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto complete the top 10.
After three practice sessions at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez - each topped by a different driver in Leclerc, Verstappen and Norris respectively - it is time for the paddock to switch their attentions to Qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Aston Martin pair of Stroll and Alonso are the first to hit the track on scrubbed soft tyres as the 18-minute Q1 segment gets underway, with the latter back in action after having his limited running in FP3 due to a small issue with the front right of his car. While Kick Sauber’s Bortoleto soon has his early effort deleted for exceeding track limits, Norris sets a benchmark of 1'17"147 - seven-tenths ahead of McLaren team mate Piastri, who seemingly reports a DRS issue on his MCL39. Once all 20 drivers have put a lap on the board, Russell slots into second - just 0.047s behind Norris - with Leclerc in third ahead of Verstappen. At the other end of the timesheets, the names at risk are Hulkenberg, Alonso, Colapinto, Gasly and Bortoleto. As the track rapidly evolves, the order continues to change. Bearman particularly catches the eye by momentarily going fastest - and while he is then beaten by Norris and Leclerc, the Haas driver’s time keeps him in third with a few minutes remaining. With four minutes to go, the drivers now in danger are Gasly, Tsunoda, Colapinto, Hulkenberg and Stroll - but with the track improvement proving so great, it appears that anybody could be in trouble if they choose not to put another lap in. Hadjar and Lawson put their Racing Bulls machines into first and third respectively - Hadjar’s effort of 1'16"733 putting him 0.166s clear of Norris - while Antonelli finds himself in the danger zone before improving to P11. Elsewhere Gasly fails to better his time and Alpine team mate Colapinto also suffers the same fate, the Argentinian having a bit of a moment over the kerbs. Stroll abandons his effort, meaning that he also exits Q1. The other Aston Martin of Alonso hauls himself up to P12, pushing Bortoleto back into the drop zone. This leaves Albon as the only driver that can still improve - but the Williams man is unable to do so, putting him out of the session in P17. Hamilton, meanwhile, ends the segment in P2, just 0.003s back from Hadjar at the top. After leading the way in Q1, Hadjar is amongst the first to head out on track as 15 minutes go on the clock for Q2. The Frenchman is soon joined by the rest of the pack, with all again running the soft tyres albeit with a mixture of new and used sets across the field.
As the first laps come in, Norris goes quickest on a 1'16"252 with a sizeable margin of 0.406s over closest challenger Leclerc, while Sainz is half a second back in third ahead of Verstappen and Hulkenberg. Piastri, meanwhile, is one second adrift of his team mate in 10th, the Australian reporting that something weird happens with his power unit into Turn 5. Elsewhere, Lawson does not get a lap on the board after aborting his effort, having gone wide during his attempt. The New Zealander then dives into the pits at the end of his next run, meaning that he is still without a banker lap with just a few minutes remaining - putting him at risk of elimination alongside Bearman, Ocon, Alonso and Antonelli. Both of the Haas duo move up into the top 10, but a flurry of lap times come in that could change the order, with Hamilton shooting up to second behind Norris. Russell also improves to third, and Mercedes team mate Antonelli betters his time to go eighth. Piastri faces a tense moment after finding himself in the elimination zone, before the McLaren man climbs up to seventh. This pushes Tsunoda down into P11, with the Red Bull driver exiting along with Ocon, Hulkenberg, Alonso and Lawson, the latter having failed to set a representative time. In Q3, Max Verstappen is the first to cross the line as the initial laps come in, but the Dutchman’s effort of 1'16"455 is promptly beaten by Norris. Leclerc, however, goes even faster, pumping in a 1'15"991 to go 0.179s clear of Norris. Hamilton is nearly four-tenths adrift of his team mate in third, with Verstappen fourth while Piastri has to settle for fifth - this time around three-tenths behind Norris. Russell, Antonelli, Sainz, Hadjar and Bearman round out the provisional top 10 order. The focus for all then switches to the decisive final runs. Piastri is the first of the frontrunners to set his time and improves to P3, before Verstappen pushes the Australian down to fourth by moving up to second. Norris then storms through on a 1'15"586, a significant four-tenths quicker than Leclerc’s previous time. While Leclerc does improve on his final lap, the Monegasque cannot beat Norris’ effort, sitting 0.262s behind in P2. Hamilton slots in behind Leclerc in third while Russell moves up to fourth, pushing Verstappen down to fifth. Antonelli takes sixth ahead of Sainz in seventh, though the Williams driver ultimately lines up in P12 due to a five-place grid penalty carried over from the United States Grand Prix weekend. Piastri ends up back in eighth - nearly six-tenths behind Norris’ effort - with Hadjar taking ninth and Bearman rounding out the top-10.
The Mexico City Grand Prix weekend got off to a brilliant start for Lando Norris: in a crucial round of the three-way battle for the world title, the British driver confirmed the strong impressions he had given during free practice, when he had already looked significantly faster than both Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. In qualifying, Norris secured a commanding pole position, achieved on his final lap in Q3, with an advantage of almost 0.3 seconds over the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton:
"I’m happy to be back on pole - it’s been a really long time. It was one of those laps where you don’t quite know what’s happening. I knew it was decent, but when I crossed the line, I was pleasantly surprised. In the past I’ve had some good races here, so I’ll focus on what I can control. I’m here to win. I’ll look ahead even though I know there are fast drivers behind me, and I know the Ferraris are quick in race trim".
Oscar Piastri arrived in Mexico City already coming off a difficult spell in terms of results, and at the track named after the Rodríguez brothers, the situation only worsened: while his teammate grabbed pole position, Piastri could do no better than the fourth row, setting only the seventh-fastest time. If the GP were to end with this result, the Australian would lose his championship lead:
"I think this weekend and the last one have been very different from all the others. This weekend the pace just isn’t there. Everything felt normal and I thought I’d done a decent job, but the lap time just isn’t there. We’re in a situation I don’t like. It is what it is right now, but if I can find the pace again... that’s the main issue I need to fix".
The qualifying result was deeply unsatisfactory for Max Verstappen, who made his disappointment clear not only with the session’s outcome but also with the team’s work throughout the weekend:
"No grip at all - everything you don’t want to have, I had it. We’ve been off the pace all weekend, we tried different things, but nothing worked. It went badly, we obviously tried to find a solution, but we didn’t manage to".
Verstappen also expressed concern about race pace, openly admitting his pessimism ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix:
"Yeah, of course, it’s not going to go well. There’s been nothing positive. I don’t want to lie - it’s been a disaster so far".
Only a supersonic Lando Norris managed to stay ahead of the Ferraris in qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix. Few would have predicted that before a GP that was expected to be difficult (and in some ways still is) for the Maranello-built cars. Even Leclerc said he plans to go on the attack, fully aware that this is one of the few remaining chances to fight at the top in what has been a tough season:
"There’s very little grip here, the car slides a lot, and putting everything together is very tricky. I think I squeezed everything out of the car, though maybe there was still a bit more to find. But I’m still happy. I’ll do everything I can to take the lead at the start and try to keep it. I don’t think there’s a magic trick or a big change that suddenly made us much better compared to three or four GPs ago. We’ve just improved a bit everywhere - as Lewis also said, small differences and procedures can make a big difference in the end".
It took 20 races, but Lewis Hamilton finally managed to secure a top-three qualifying result in the SF-25. It happened in Mexico, and this result seems to confirm the progress Ferrari has made in recent weekends:
"We’re continuing to improve our procedures - from the moment we arrive, even before - the decisions we make as a team, with the engineers, and how we go out on track. All these things. We’re optimizing in all these areas. And the way Charles and I work together to move the car forward and develop it has been very positive over the last few race weekends".
For once, the execution of the work program allowed Frederic Vasseur’s Ferrari to reap good rewards. The tire preparation during qualifying for the Mexico City GP, combined with the drivers’ ability to extract the maximum from the SF-25, gave the team principal reason to smile — even though Ferrari came very close to an unexpected pole after Leclerc’s first Q3 attempt:
"A lot depends on tire preparation - a good warm-up lap and also component cooling. On this track, we’re all at the limit with brakes and engine, and it’s always about finding the right balance. But since the start of the weekend, we’ve been on top of that; we’ve done everything right. That’s always been the main topic, but it’s true for everyone. This track is very tricky because there are very fast sectors and very slow ones, and sometimes you reach the stadium section with a lock-up because the tires are out of their window. Keeping them in the right temperature range is key. We saw that in Austin too, where we performed better thanks to the tires. As for cooling, Mexico is by far the toughest race of the season because of the altitude. We’re running Monza-level downforce despite a bigger rear wing. There are cooling issues with brakes and engine, but that’s true for everyone. You don’t want to compromise your race for qualifying pace, but today we’re happy with the result - we made conservative choices with the race in mind, and that’s positive".
However, that doesn’t mean it will be easy to manage temperatures during the race - especially when running behind other cars in the so-called dirty air, where some lift and coast may be necessary:
"At the start, the most important thing will be the slipstream, because there’s a very long straight up to Turn 1, and probably the best position is second or third - hopefully both for us, given where we are. But the race will be another story, because when you’re behind someone it becomes very hard to manage temperatures and keep the tires in the right window. Having clear air ahead will be important. The start will be crucial, but so will running in clean air afterward".
One day on from Norris claiming a commanding pole position - beating the Ferrari pair of Leclerc and Hamilton to P1 - the paddock reconvenes on Sunday in preparation for the highly anticipated Mexico City Grand Prix. Saturday’s Qualifying sets up a fascinating scenario in terms of the Drivers’ Championship; while Norris puts himself at the front of the grid, his title rivals Verstappen and Piastri line up in fifth and seventh. Should they each finish where they start, Norris leaves the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as the new championship leader. While Piastri actually qualifies in eighth, the Australian is promoted a place due to Sainz - who claims seventh in Qualifying - serving a five-place grid penalty handed to him after the United States Grand Prix, dropping the Williams driver down to 12th. This also moves Hadjar, Bearman, Tsunoda and Ocon up by one place each. In a continuation of the conditions seen during the weekend so far, the drivers and teams are greeted by warm and dry weather as they assemble for the 71-lap event, with air temperatures even higher than during previous days at around 26 °C, while the track temperature stands at 52 degrees Celsius. Once all 20 cars line up on the grid and the tyre blankets are removed for the expected one-stop race, it is revealed that more than half of the field start on the C5 soft compound. However, Verstappen, Hadjar, Tsunoda, Sainz, Bortoleto and Gasly instead opt for the C4 medium, while Albon and Colapinto sport the C2 hard rubber. With the formation lap completed, the five lights go out to signal the start of the Mexico City Grand Prix - and while it is a strong launch off the line from Norris, a slightly chaotic entry into Turn 1 sees four cars vie for the lead, with a fast-starting Verstappen taking to the grass and cutting the corner after running alongside the two Ferraris. Leclerc then emerges as the leader but, having also been one of several cars to skip the corner, the Monegasque has to cede the position to Norris. When the order shakes out - and the Turn 1 incident is noted by the stewards - Norris leads from Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen and Russell, while further back Piastri drops to P9. Lawson becomes the first driver to pit, the Racing Bulls man stopping for a new front wing after getting caught up in contact on Lap 1, while Russell voices his displeasure at Verstappen staying ahead following the earlier melee.
As Piastri tries to find a way past Tsunoda, the action at the front intensifies. Verstappen makes a lunge on Hamilton into Turn 1, with the pair running wheel-to-wheel before Verstappen runs wide and returns to the track ahead. While Hamilton tries to retake the place, the Ferrari driver also goes wide. Through all of this, a moment for Verstappen allows Bearman to make a move and take fourth place from the World Champion, an impressive showing from the Haas racer. The stewards, meanwhile, note Hamilton for failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions regarding the escape road, and his contact with Verstappen is also separately noted. With 11 laps down, Norris leads by nearly three seconds from Leclerc, with Hamilton in third ahead of Bearman, Verstappen, Antonelli and Russell. Piastri, meanwhile, finally finds a way past Tsunoda to take P8 on the main straight. Elsewhere, Lawson becomes the first retiree from the race. The drivers that start on the medium tyres seem to struggle to stick with those ahead. Verstappen is some 1.4s back from Bearman, while Tsunoda quickly drops away from Piastri by over three seconds. While the stewards confirm that there will be no further investigation into Hamilton’s alleged failure to follow the Race Director’s instructions, a separate investigation for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at Turn 4 - when he runs wide and takes to the escape road - results in a 10-second time penalty. Norris, meanwhile, extends his lead to 7.4s from Leclerc by Lap 18, with Hamilton some five seconds back from his teammate in third. Further back, Piastri is hot on the tail of Russell in the fight for P7, while Sainz - another of the medium tyre starters - pits for the soft compound. As McLaren face the dilemma of whether to try to undercut Russell, it is confirmed that the stewards will investigate Verstappen and Hamilton’s earlier Turn 1 collision - and while Verstappen is noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at Turn 3, no further investigation is deemed necessary. On Lap 23, Antonelli becomes the first of the frontrunners to pit, emerging back on track in P13 with the medium tyres on. Hamilton - unhappy to be told of his penalty - follows one tour later and serves those 10 seconds in the process, dropping him down to P14 as he also has the C4 fitted. Further pit stops start to come thick and fast, with Piastri and Russell also making their stops. Russell returns to the circuit ahead of the McLaren, while Hamilton climbs up to P12 after overtaking Albon.
There is disappointment for Hulkenberg on Lap 28, the Kick Sauber driver retiring the car in the pits due to a power unit issue, while the stewards are again kept busy as it is confirmed that Sainz has been handed a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Elsewhere, Piastri looks quick as he surges past Hadjar on the main straight to take eighth place. Further ahead, Leclerc pits on Lap 32 and reemerges in third - and McLaren bring Norris in on Lap 35, with the extensive lead he builds prior to his stop seeing him easily return to the track still in P1. Verstappen remains in second, having yet to pit, while Alonso becomes the third driver to record a DNF as he pulls into the pits with a suspected brake issue. Russell, meanwhile, is warned by his race engineer to manage his front brakes - leading the Briton to respond that a podium fight is possible with the Ferrari and Haas cars ahead. Running in fifth behind the other Mercedes of Antonelli - and with the McLaren of Piastri right on his tail - Russell radios in his belief that both his and Antonelli’s races are being compromised. But with the Silver Arrows not ordering a switch, the #63 car is forced to defend hard against a chasing Piastri. As Lap 40 ticks down, Norris leads by more than 18 seconds from Leclerc with Bearman in third. And as Russell continues to plead his case for being let past Antonelli, the swap is carried out to move the British driver up to fourth as he aims to chase down Bearman - with Antonelli now having to hold back Piastri. Up ahead, Norris is asked to help the other side as his race engineer questions if he prefers the medium or the soft tyre. Behind the Australian, Hamilton has Verstappen applying pressure in a scrap for seventh. The Dutchman makes a move to take the position into Turn 1 - and while McLaren tell Piastri to box, he opts not to, instead staying out on track as he tries to overtake Antonelli to no avail. The battle takes an intriguing turn on Lap 48 as Piastri does indeed pit - only for Mercedes to also bring Antonelli in, while Hamilton pits too. A duel between the pit crews sees McLaren win, the papaya squad getting Piastri out ahead of the Silver Arrows car. Behind them, Piastri picks off Ocon - an incident later noted by the stewards before it is decided that no further investigation is necessary - while Antonelli and Hamilton also overtake the Frenchman.
As the race heads into its final stages - and Sainz is handed a drive-through penalty for again speeding in the pit lane, the Spaniard seemingly experiencing an issue with his pit lane limiter - several tantalising battles remain at play, one being that Verstappen is now just six seconds behind Leclerc in the chase for P2. Piastri, meanwhile, tries to find a way past Russell in the scrap for P5, while Bortoleto aims for the final points-paying position as he follows fellow rookie Hadjar in P10. With 10 laps to go, one driver to succeed in their duel is Piastri, the nine-time race winner surging down the inside into Turn 1. As Russell fails to overtake Bearman, Antonelli requests that the positions be inverted following their earlier swap - an order that is soon carried out - while Bortoleto overtakes Hadjar to move up into 10th place. Entering the final five laps, Norris is a whopping 29 seconds up the road from Leclerc - but Verstappen is now just 2.5s behind the Ferrari. Piastri also looks to be gaining as he tries to catch Bearman in the fight for P4 - a position that could be crucial in terms of taking back the championship lead from his teammate. The yellow flags are waved when Sainz comes to a halt in the stadium section on Lap 70 - just as Verstappen is right on the tail of Leclerc. Moments later a Virtual Safety Car is deployed, putting a stop to both this battle and that between Bearman and Piastri. But with around half a lap remaining, the VSC period comes to an end, meaning that those fights can resume. None of this affects Norris, however, who crosses the line to take his 10th career victory with a staggering margin of 30.324s. Behind him, Leclerc ultimately holds onto second - by only 0.725s from Verstappen - and Bearman also keeps Piastri at bay to keep fourth place, the strongest result of the young driver’s time in F1 so far. Piastri has to settle for fifth, meaning that the Australian loses his championship lead to Norris by only one point. Antonelli leads home teammate Russell in sixth and seventh for the Mercedes pair, followed by Hamilton, Ocon and Bortoleto to complete the top 10. After dominating the Mexican Grand Prix - finishing a full 30 seconds ahead of the second-place driver - and reclaiming the top spot in the championship standings, Lando Norris was surprisingly met with boos from the Mexican crowd, who expressed their disapproval quite loudly during the traditional post-race interviews at the Foro Sol.
In the press conference, Carlos Jalife, a Mexican journalist, explained the reasons behind the booing coming from the stadium stands. Fans apparently have not yet forgotten the team order incident in Monza, when after a slow pit stop that allowed Oscar Piastri to get ahead, Norris was given his position back following an order from the team engineers. According to a poll conducted by a local magazine, Norris should give back those three points to Piastri to even the score. However, the British driver did not seem particularly affected by the boos:
"People can do whatever they want, honestly. They have the right to boo if they want to. I think sometimes that’s just how it is in sports. I don’t know why, but when people boo me, I can’t stop laughing. Maybe that makes it more fun for me. They can keep doing it if they like. Obviously, it’s not something I wish for - I’d rather have people cheer for me. But that’s how it is".
Regarding the events at Monza, Norris reiterated that he believes he earned that second place on track:
"As a team, we try to do things the right way. It was the same as what happened last season in Budapest, when I could have won the race but had to let Oscar through so he could win a race he deserved to win. It’s no different. It was a wrong decision from us as a team to call him in first. If they want those three points, they can have them. They have the right to think whatever they want. But just as Oscar deserved the win in Budapest last year, I deserved to be ahead in Monza. It’s that simple".
Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri, who has now gone five Grands Prix without a podium, lost the championship lead. Starting from seventh, the Australian managed to limit the damage somewhat, finishing fifth, narrowly missing out on fourth place to Oliver Bearman - a position he might have claimed if not for the controversial Virtual Safety Car period in the final two laps. Now just one point behind his teammate, Piastri reflected on the recent struggles, with the momentum clearly shifting in Norris’s favor:
"It’s definitely been a learning experience, that’s for sure. For some reason, over the last two weekends, it’s been necessary to adopt a very different driving style, and what worked well for me in the first 18 races has required something completely different recently. Trying to understand why that is has been a bit difficult. I’ve definitely tried a lot of different things, but I always seemed to be stuck behind a lot of cars, so it was hard to tell if the changes I made to my driving were actually helping or not. We’ll need to analyze the data and see if things look positive in terms of numbers, because from a feeling point of view, when you’re behind so many cars, it’s very hard to know. Driving the way I’ve had to over the last two weekends isn’t particularly natural for me, so it’s been about trying to make the best of it".
Lando Norris fully capitalized on the impressive superiority shown over the weekend, and with his victory in Mexico, he forcefully claimed the lead in the World Championship standings. Speaking about Norris’s win, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella said:
"Lando executed the start perfectly. It’s not easy to hold onto the lead here, because the straight to Turn 1 is very long. It was a perfect execution from Lando. The whole weekend was executed perfectly, maximizing the performance that was available in the car. It’s important for the team to confirm that the performance is there, after a few races where we hesitated or didn’t fully maximize the car’s competitiveness. It was important to get back to winning, and we also saw encouraging signs from Oscar after a disappointing qualifying session yesterday. Together with him, we understood what we needed to change on the car and what he needed to adjust in his driving style".
Looking ahead to the final four Grands Prix, the Italian engineer expects a fierce battle:
"I thought Red Bull and Ferrari would be in contention for the win. They were close in qualifying, but then in the race some aspects came into play related to tire degradation. We know our car performs well when degradation is high, and today there was definitely a lot. We made the most of our strengths. I think the upcoming races should suit our car well, but it’s going to be a very interesting end to the season between Ferrari, Verstappen, and Mercedes. It’s going to be fun".
Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, seems to have taken a step back in terms of performance, despite the upgrade package brought to help Max Verstappen fight with the sharpest tools possible. Even though things didn’t go as expected, the Dutch driver was still among the stars of the Mexican Grand Prix - first with a bold start attacking the Ferraris into Turn 1, and later with some borderline moves that allowed him to reduce his deficit in the championship to 36 points behind Norris. After the race, Verstappen praised race control for not penalizing any of the drivers who gained an advantage by going off track in Turn 1:
"The start? I’d say it was 100% fair. There was a lot of action - we had a good launch off the line, then I went a bit wide into Turn 1 and ended up off the track, on the grass. It happens. The team’s strategy was very good. The issue was obviously the first stint on Mediums, which had very little grip, while on the Softs we had more traction and I went quite well. Anyway, we were all in the same boat in that respect. I just tried to make the most of the first stint by going long, because then it was clear that on Softs I’d have a bit more pace. It still wouldn’t have been enough to beat Norris’s McLaren, but we were definitely faster than the others".
The Mexican Grand Prix ended on a positive note for Charles Leclerc, who achieved the best possible result given the impressive dominance shown by McLaren and Lando Norris - second place. The Monegasque driver was saved in the final two laps by the Virtual Safety Car, which halted Max Verstappen’s comeback. At the start, everything went smoothly, even though at one point four cars - Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, and Verstappen - found themselves almost side by side. In the chaos and tension of the moment, the most frustrated driver was Lewis Hamilton, who over the radio asked - unsuccessfully - to be given his position back from Leclerc. In that situation, Leclerc had yielded to Norris but was careful not to let the other Ferrari go through:
"There was no room, and I did my best to brake as much as I could. I don’t think Lewis knew Max was on the left, and I don’t know if Max knew there was someone on the right, and we touched slightly. That sent me off, and then I decided to cut the corner because the angle into the next turn would have been very dangerous. So I gave the position back to Lando, saw that things were getting a bit messy behind, and focused on my own race. I’m happy with the result because I think McLaren today was on another planet, then came Red Bull, and then us. And yet, we still managed to finish ahead of Red Bull, even if we were a bit saved by the Safety Car. I’m satisfied with the last two races - we did everything perfectly, no regrets, and we must keep going like this until the end of the season".
Lewis Hamilton then came under attack from Max Verstappen, and during their duel he cut the second chicane without giving the position back, earning a 10-second penalty that effectively ruined his race. The British driver eventually finished eighth:
"I’m disappointed with the people in charge - there are two weights and two measures. Things didn’t go as I’d hoped. I had a good start, but everything changed because of decisions outside of my control, and from that moment, it was impossible to recover the race. The stint on the Medium tires was challenging because they didn’t suit the track conditions today, and in the final phase, we lacked the pace we needed. Overall, though, we had a good car all weekend, and I’m grateful for the progress we’ve made as a team. I’m looking forward to Brazil - it’s one of my favorite races, and it’ll be special to race there in red for the first time".
In Mexico, Ferrari regained second place in the Constructors’ Championship. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur commented:
"We have to be honest and acknowledge that Hamilton didn’t follow the correct racing line because he lost control of the car, but 10 seconds is too much. It was an excessive and very harsh penalty because he lost many positions. Was the one-stop strategy with Charles the plan from the start? Yes".
Regarding the battle at Turn 1, the French manager noted that it was impossible to plan any coordination between Hamilton and Leclerc:
"Charles didn’t have a great start, but it’s impossible to ‘predict’ what’s going to happen in such a tricky Turn 1 like the one at the Mexican GP".
Vasseur also spoke about Oliver Bearman’s performance, who finished fourth with Haas:
"He did an exceptional job. He was able to hold off both Mercedes for 20 laps, and then Piastri too. He made zero mistakes from the start of the weekend. Until now, he’s had some great weekends but always made a small mistake here or there - usually in the decisive sessions - whereas this weekend he was perfect from start to finish".
The start of the Mexican Grand Prix continues to spark debate. The spectacular four-way fight into Turn 1 - with four cars running almost side by side - inevitably created confusion, forcing Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc to cut across the grass to avoid a potential collision. Shortly afterward, another battle for position - this time between Hamilton and Verstappen en-ded with both running off the track and with the seven-time world champion receiving a 10-second penalty for not following Race Direction’s re-entry guidelines. Not everyone appreciated the chaos - George Russell, who started from fourth but dropped to fifth and then seventh after the intense first-lap battles, expressed his frustration after finishing seventh:
"I don’t understand how three drivers can cut the first corner and just continue in the position they entered it. It’s like being allowed to risk everything and then, if you mess up, you get a ‘get out of jail free’ card. When Max and Lewis clashed, Lewis got a penalty - fair enough - but Max went off track and rejoined. For me, it was just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I lost three positions. Obviously, I was pretty frustrated, but it all stemmed from that first lap. Ultimately, it depends on the circuit, and here you have that ‘get out of jail free’ card. If there were gravel, nobody would behave like that. We’ve seen it almost every year we’ve raced here. Last year it was Carlos, the year before it was Charles, and ten years ago it was Lewis. It’s like a lawnmower race. Something needs to change there. It shouldn’t work like this".