Formula 1: Norris wins Mexican Grand Prix

The three-way battle for the Formula 1 title came to a dramatic head at the Grand Prix in Mexico City. With a flawless performance, Lando Norris drove from pole position to victory, taking the championship lead by one point over his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. "An incredible result," Norris radioed to the pits.

Behind Norris and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, defending champion Max Verstappen salvaged third place. Second place even seemed within reach for him, but a virtual safety car period prevented a final push. Australian McLaren driver Piastri, who has been struggling for weeks, could only manage fifth place, finishing behind surprise fourth-place finisher Oliver Bearman in the Haas. For the only German driver, Nico Hülkenberg in the Sauber, the race ended prematurely due to a defect.

Kicking off in Australia, finishing in Abu Dhabi: 24 Grand Prix races await fans in the 2025 Formula 1 season. The race calendar with all dates, races, and results at a glance.

The first stress test awaited Norris, who started from pole position, right at the start of the race. The start/finish straight at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez is incredibly long, offering advantages to drivers in the slipstream. Norris immediately had to fend off initial attacks, but parried them and defended his position at the front.

Behind him, things became chaotic: Verstappen also got off to a good start, but at the first corner, the world champion drove through the grass in the crush and initially settled back into fourth place. "I was squeezed in like crazy," Verstappen complained over the radio.

The race remained competitive, and Verstappen was once again at the center of the action. During an overtaking maneuver, he made contact with British record world champion Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari. This dropped the Dutchman to fifth place. Hamilton braked too late in the following corner, but failed to use the designated emergency exit upon rejoining the track – the Briton received a ten-second penalty and missed the podium.

Verstappen fell back to eighth place after the first pit stops, but had the advantage on a new set of very soft tires and began his recovery. Further pit stops by rivals pushed the Dutchman up to third place – not enough for Verstappen. He steadily reduced the gap to Leclerc, but was unable to overtake because the virtual safety car blocked his way shortly before the finish.

With four Grands Prix left before the end of the season, the three most important World Championship rivals have now moved even closer together. Norris has 357 points, followed by Piastri (356) and Verstappen (321). The season continues in two weeks in Brazil, followed by races in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. The winner of a race receives 25 points.