Norris wins Mexico GP thanks to perfect start and control

Oct 27, 2025 | Formula 1

Summary

Lando Norris dominated the Mexican Grand Prix. His start was flawless. He then kept up the pace and made McLaren's advantage final. Meanwhile, brief chaos ensued behind him. That led to damage, a penalty and strategic choices that further determined the outcome.

The crucial start

Norris started excellently. He braked slightly back to neutralise the slipstream effect of trailing cars and blocked the inside line. This kept Lewis Hamilton behind him and allowed him to gain speed immediately. In this way, he immediately converted his big qualifying advantage into control in the race.

Friction between top teams

The start created a tight situation between Ferrari and Red Bull. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen touched briefly when one of the Red Bulls was on the kerb. The damage was limited, but the position quickly changed. Verstappen and Leclerc gave each other space moments later so Norris retained the lead.

The Hamilton-Verstappen incident

Soon after, things escalated between Hamilton and Verstappen. There were several duels on the lap after. Verstappen put in a late brake action, the wheels hit each other and Hamilton drove a bit through the exit lane. According to the rules, Hamilton had to give back the position. As another driver took advantage at the same time, Hamilton refused to give back two spots. Race control gave him a 10-second penalty time at his pit stop. That penalty ended up costing him many places in the pack.

Strategy and links

Tyre choice and stints determined the course of the middle group. Many teams started on the soft tyre. Verstappen had chosen medium and therefore struggled with less grip in the first stint. He had to drive long so his second stint on soft tyres would not be too long.

Norris was given his soft tyres for 35 laps. That was well longer than many competitors. This allowed McLaren to control the race and drive freely. Red Bull dared Verstappen to come in late, allowing him to attack and overtake with fresh soft tyres in the closing stages.

Notable achievements

One of the surprises was Ollie Bearman in the Haas. He started from far up front and was in an excellent position in the early stages. He managed to pass several fast drivers and rode along in the front group for a long time. Oscar Piastri also stayed in character behind his strong teammate Norris and lost a lot of time due to traffic and the wrong moments to attack.

Key moments in a nutshell

• Norris makes a perfect start and quickly builds a lead.
• Ferrari and Red Bull hit each other briefly in the opening stages.
• Hamilton and Verstappen have a slide, Hamilton gets 10s penalty.
• Bearman drives a strong race and settles into the top five.
• Strategies with soft versus medium tyres decide the positions between them.
• Two laps before the end, a stopped car causes a VSC and inhibits overtaking.

The closing stages and the VSC

In the closing stages, Verstappen advanced strongly towards Leclerc. Piastri also fought his way to the front. But two laps before the end, Carlos Sainz had to put his car alongside the track. That triggered a Virtual Safety Car. That situation reduced the space and speed of the attackers. As a result, the hunt for podium places stagnated.

Results and consequences

Norris won with almost half a minute's lead. He cleverly controlled the race and kept his tyre management in good order. With this victory, he takes the lead in the world championship. For Hamilton, the race had a bitter aftertaste due to the penalty and lost places. Verstappen and Leclerc fought until the end, but could not threaten Norris.

The race in Mexico showed how important starts, tyre management and team strategy are. A perfect start and consistent pace can completely define a race.

Red Bull suffers through cooling compromise in Mexico

Oct 26, 2025 | Formula 1

Cooling problems can obscure pace

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella warns that you should view qualifying results in Mexico with caution. The air at altitude is thinner. The racing environment is hot. That makes cooling more important than at many other tracks.

If you need more cooling, you sometimes have to open up the bodywork further. That costs aerodynamic efficiency. According to Stella, that can quickly cost a lot of pace.

What happened in Mexico

Lando Norris took pole by a wide margin. Max Verstappen qualified fifth, about half a second slower than Norris. Oscar Piastri was seventh on the grid.

Verstappen had problems with grip and traction. He spoke after practice of a car that got too hot on longer runs. That fits with the idea that Red Bull needed more cooling in Mexico and therefore had to make compromises.

How McLaren benefited

McLaren did not need to make those major modifications. The team ran with relatively closed bodywork. As a result, the car kept its aerodynamics better intact. Stella cites 2025's improved cooling solution as a major reason for that flexibility.

McLaren engineers incorporated many innovations in the cooling system when developing the 2025 car. In Mexico, the team was able to use parts that were already available. This provided an advantage in high temperatures and thinner air at altitude.

Concretely visible

The difference is also visually noticeable. Red Bull ran more vents and louvers on the bonnet. McLaren ran much more enclosed around the engine. Those choices reflect the compromise trade-off between cooling and aero.

Consequences for race and strategy

Qualifying does not automatically reflect the rest of the weekend. Stella expects Red Bull to be quick in the remaining races despite the problems. But in Mexico, the disadvantage could be greater.

Tyre management remains crucial here. According to Stella, the first lap has to be clean. If successful, Norris can take advantage of his strong long runs in the race. Piastri will try to fight back from spot seven.

• McLaren: more efficient cooling system, denser closed bodywork.
• Red Bull: more openings needed, aero efficiency drops.
• Key race factor: tyre management and a quiet first lap.

In a nutshell

Mexico is not an ideal measuring stick for pure speed because of cooling demand. McLaren could benefit from its cooling innovations. Red Bull seems to have had to make a cooling compromise in Mexico. That partly explains the unexpected qualifying distance.

Why Piastri slowed down in Mexico qualifying

Oct 26, 2025 | Formula 1

Piastri loses pace: the pattern is clear

Oscar Piastri qualified significantly slower than teammate Lando Norris in Mexico. His fastest lap was 0.588s slower than Norris'. Due to a grid penalty from Carlos Sainz, Piastri is now seventh on the grid. That is the first time since April that he is in danger of losing his championship lead.

The striking thing is that this was not an isolated error in Q3. The problem played out all weekend. In both free practice sessions, he was about six tenths behind Norris. The differences in Q1 and Q2 were 0.259 s and 0.485 s. Piastri was also slower than his teammate in the US last week.

Possible causes at a glance

There are several explanations that could explain the loss of pace. The team and Piastri himself cite several options.

• Undetected damage to car after crash in Austin.
• Technical parts that work slightly differently on his car.
• Difference in driving style and how it suits low grip conditions.

Team check: car seems fine

McLaren says based on data and checks that there is no obvious mechanical problem. The team stresses that parts are rotated regularly and that there is no evidence of a defective chassis. They would rather change floor or front wing than replace the monocoque.

Yet Piastri himself did not rule out damage altogether. He said the car generally felt normal, but often had less grip than Norris.

Driving style and low grip conditions

According to the team, the root of the problem lies with the driving style. Norris appears to perform better in sliding, low-grip conditions. Piastri, on the other hand, is stronger when there is a lot of grip. Those differences were visible in Austin and in Mexico.

A key issue is brake usage. In Mexico and Austin, Norris made more gains in heavy braking zones. His braking strategy and way of controlling the rear tyres gave him an advantage. Piastri experimented with braking points and the length of his braking zones, but could not always match that advantage.

Where did Piastri lose time?

• Turn 1: lost about 0.05s at the first apex due to slightly later braking.
• Turn 2 and the next right/left combination: lost extra time and speed.
• Turn 4-6: previously a weak spot, but improved in Q3.
• Turns 7-11 (the fast sweepers): here Norris built much of his lead, nearly 0.45 s by Turn 12.

On exiting Turn 10/11 and through the stadium complex, Piastri lost time again. Managing the backline temperature seemed to play a part. In the analysis, he himself said it felt like ‘losing a bit everywhere’ rather than one clear trouble spot.

Long-term pace and race image

The problem was not limited to one fast lap. Even in long runs, Piastri looked slower than Norris. That makes the race tricky. Mexico is expected to be a processional race with a strategy around one pit stop. In such a race, overtaking is difficult. Therefore, Sunday will be mainly damage control for Piastri.

Yet it is not the end. Piastri has shown at several races this season that he can adjust and learn quickly. The team expects him to perform at his usual level again at Interlagos.

Conclusion

In summary, there is no direct evidence of a technical defect. The data support that the car is functioning. The biggest chance is that the combination of low grip and a driving style that is less suited to it cost Piastri dearly. It is a learning process for him. For Sunday, it's all about limited loss avoidance. After that, he will get another chance to address the problem.