The McLaren driver was untouchable at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, delivering one of his most complete performances to date. After losing valuable track time in FP1 – when Pato O’Ward took the wheel for his rookie session – Norris quickly found his rhythm and went on to secure pole position with a margin of over two-tenths from Charles Leclerc.

When the lights went out on Sunday, Norris made a clean getaway and avoided the first-corner chaos involving several cars fighting for position. From there, he simply disappeared into the distance, controlling the race and crossing the line more than 30 seconds ahead of Leclerc – the biggest winning margin in Formula 1 since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.

His teammate Piastri, meanwhile, could only manage fifth after struggling to find balance all weekend. Starting from seventh, he dropped two spots at the start before recovering later through a combination of overtakes and strategy. The late VSC denied him a chance to attack Oliver Bearman for fourth.

As a result, Norris now leads the championship by one point over Piastri!

Verstappen salvages podium

While Norris dominated, Max Verstappen endured a more complicated afternoon.

Verstappen had a wild start, briefly running off the track in a four-wide battle on the approach to Turn 1. Starting on medium tyres didn’t help either, and he lacked grip in the early laps. Still, a well-executed one-stop strategy allowed the Red Bull driver to climb back up to third place and he could even have finished second had a late Virtual Safety Car not disrupted his final push.

“I didn’t expect the podium today. Sometimes the safety car works for you and sometimes it works against you,” said Verstappen after the race. He now sits 36 points behind Norris in the championship standings.

Bearman shines with career-best fourth

Haas had every reason to celebrate after Oliver Bearman produced the best drive of his young Formula 1 career.

Starting ninth, the 20-year-old made up several places on the opening lap and later battled hard with both Verstappen and the Mercedes drivers. Benefiting from Lewis Hamilton’s penalty, Bearman briefly ran as high as third and ultimately finished fourth, matching Haas’ best-ever team result.

“To go side-by-side with Max was an amazing feeling. He’s someone I grew up watching, so to race him for position is pretty special,” the British driver said.

Even rivals took notice. Sauber commented after the race:

“Credit also where it’s due to Haas and Oliver Bearman. They did a fantastic job today, and we can only congratulate them, even though it obviously hurts to see them take so many points in such a tight midfield battle.”

Ferrari climb to second in the Constructors’ standings

Ferrari left Mexico with mixed emotions. Leclerc delivered another excellent drive to secure his second consecutive podium, while Hamilton – who started on the front row – saw his race compromised by a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage over Verstappen.

Team principal Frédéric Vasseur described the sanction as “a bit harsh”, but Ferrari still outscored Mercedes 22–14, moving ahead of their rivals for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.

After the race, Hamilton expressed frustration over the stewards’ consistency.

"Ultimately, I'm very disappointed with the governing body. It's a double standard, as you can see, and that's the way it is," said Hamilton in the interview for Fox Sports.

Debate over Turn 1 incidents continues

The Mexico City Grand Prix once again delivered plenty of talking points. While the race itself lacked drama at the front, several incidents early on have reignited the debate over track limits and first-corner behaviour.

The opening-lap sequence saw multiple cars run wide through Turn 1 to avoid contact and rejoin without losing position – a situation the FIA may review before future races to clarify whether such moves should lead to penalties.

Despite the discussions, the event again showcased the passion of the local fans and the unique atmosphere that makes Mexico one of the most distinctive rounds on the calendar.