In a commanding display of precision and pace, Lando Norris clinched victory at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, propelling himself into the lead of the Formula One World Championship drivers’ standings with only four races remaining in the season.
The British driver for McLaren F1 Team started from pole position and never relinquished the lead, delivering one of the most dominant performances of his career to date.
From the moment the lights went out at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Norris was in full control. He seized an excellent launch off the line, moved past his rivals cleanly, and was never seriously challenged thereafter.
His margin of victory — more than 30 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher — underscored how locked-in he was throughout the race.
Post-race, Norris was visibly energized by the result, saying: “What a race! It’s awesome to win here! Good start, good first lap, and I could go from there. Eyes forward, focused on what I was doing. The launch was really the key thing.”
“Thanks to the team for giving me a great race car – and a big thanks to all the fans. Lifting the trophy here in the stadium was really special. The focus doesn’t change now, I’ll just keep pushing to deliver results like this and keep doing my best every weekend.”
Norris’s pole position-to-victory run began with a stunning qualifying lap of 1:15.586, which secured him top spot on the grid by a margin of 0.262 seconds over Charles Leclerc. Over the course of the grand prix he consistently managed pace, tyre wear and daylight between himself and the chasing pack — an achievement made all the more impressive by the altitude and technical challenges posed by the Mexico City venue.
While Norris savoured his triumph, the broader implications of his win immediately resonated in the championship battle. His teammate Oscar Piastri — who had held the championship lead prior to the weekend — finished fifth and now trails Norris by just one point.
“Obviously when your teammate wins the race, finishing fifth is nothing that extravagant,” Piastri acknowledged, illustrating the razor-thin margins at play in the title fight.
Leclerc’s second-place finish secured important points for Ferrari, but the margin back to Norris laid bare the advantage McLaren held this weekend. Meanwhile, reigning champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing managed to salvage third place, yet remains more than 35 points behind Norris with the championship in full swing.
Off-track drama also featured in Sunday’s race. Given the Mexican crowd’s fervent support for local hero Sergio Pérez, Norris’s win was accompanied by boos from sections of the stand. Norris, however, remained composed and unfazed, stating that he respected the passion of the fans and understood their disappointment at not seeing their home driver win.
In many ways the Mexico City result represents a turning point in Norris’s season. Prior to this weekend he had been chasing rather than leading, but the weekend’s form suggests that the McLaren driver now has both the car and the mindset to press for the championship.