Norris takes control of F1 title race: Mexico GP winners and losers
Who impressed and who underwhelmed at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix?
Lando Norris claimed a resounding victory in Mexico City to return to the F1 championship summit.
Here are our biggest winners and losers from the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix…
Winner - Lando Norris
Norris produced arguably his most impressive, and dominant, weekend-long performance of the 2025 F1 season in Mexico.
The Briton stormed to pole position, which he converted into a crushing win. A flawless and controlled drive from Norris sees him take back the championship lead for the first time since April.
This was a champion-esque delivery from Norris, who has taken the ascendancy in the title race.
Loser - F1 fans
One of the major talking points of the race came in the closing stages when Carlos Sainz spun on the penultimate lap, resulting in a contentious late Virtual Safety Car.
The call to bring out the VSC came despite Sainz appearing to be out of the way, having managed to drive his Williams into a gap between the barriers. The VSC robbed an exciting finish and prevented Max Verstappen from passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for second. Oscar Piastri was also unable to pass Oliver Bearman for fourth, which would have seen him retain the championship lead.
The FIA came under fire for the decision, which many pundits and fans felt was totally unnecessary.
Winner - Charles Leclerc
The biggest winner from the VSC was Leclerc, who was left thanking his lucky stars, having appeared destined to lose P2 to a charging Verstappen in the closing stages.
Leclerc held on to claim his seventh podium of the season and Ferrari’s best race finish since Monaco. The foundations of the result were laid by Leclerc’s superb Q3 lap, and a questionable straight-lining of Turn 1 at the start.
Ferrari’s points haul lifts them above Mercedes and up to second in the constructors’ championship.
Loser - Oscar Piastri
All things considered, Piastri actually managed to salvage a pretty good damage limitation result by going from seventh to fifth. He was also unfortunate that the VSC stopped him from potentially snatching fourth from Bearman.
However, for the fifth consecutive race weekend, Piastri has been off the pace compared to Norris. Concerningly, he doesn’t seem to have an answer for his stuttering F1 form, which is coming at the absolute worst time of the season as he continues to lose ground to both of his rivals.
Winner - Max Verstappen
While Verstappen may be frustrated to not have come away one position higher on the podium, the Dutchman ultimately leaves Mexico closer to the top of the championship standings than he arrived.
After a difficult Friday and qualifying for Red Bull, Verstappen would have absolutely taken third place before the race got underway. The result sees the four-time world champion close to within 36 points of Norris to keep his title hopes alive and ensure the championship battle firmly remains a three-horse race.
Loser - Lewis Hamilton
A race that promised so much for Lewis Hamilton after his best qualifying result of the season ultimately ended in disappointment.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton’s wait for a first Ferrari podium goes on after he was hit with a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in his feisty early duel with Verstappen.
Without that, a first top-three finish in red could have been on the cards for the 40-year-old Briton, who instead was left a forlorn eighth.
Winner - Oliver Bearman and Haas
Bearman produced an outstanding drive that saw him earn his best-ever finish in F1 with Haas with a stunning fourth.
The 20-year-old Briton looked on course for a surprise podium after taking advantage of early chaos, but P4 was a just reward for his performance as he kept Piastri at bay.
Ninth for teammate Esteban Ocon capped off a fantastic day for Haas, who are now just 10 points away from sixth spot in the championship.
Loser - Carlos Sainz
Sainz endured a nightmare race in Mexico that ultimately ended in retirement on the penultimate lap.
Contact at the start with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson paved the way for Sainz’s race to unravel. To make matters worse, Sainz was hit with two penalties for speeding in the pit lane before he spun into the barriers.
It was a bad day all round as Williams failed to score points for the second consecutive event - something they have not previously done this season.
Winner - Gabriel Bortoleto
Gabriel Bortoleto’s excellent P16-to-points run in Mexico largely went under the radar during a chaotic and controversial race. A host of overtakes helped Bortoleto charge through the order and work his way into the top-10 to claim a deserved final point on offer for Sauber.
Loser - Red Bull’s other drivers
Verstappen aside, it was a rough afternoon for Red Bull-backed drivers.
Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda missed out on points in 11th, while Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar was 13th and Lawson retired following damage picked up in his first-lap skirmish with Sainz.
With Tsunoda and Lawson fighting for their futures, this was the last thing they needed.
In this article
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