Charles Leclerc delivered another commanding drive for Ferrari in Mexico City on 26th October, fending off a late challenge from Max Verstappen to claim second place behind a dominant Lando Norris, whose flawless performance secured him the race win and, crucially, the lead in the drivers’ championship.
The Monegasque star continued his fine run of form following last weekend’s success in Austin, clinching his seventh podium of the season and the 50th of his Formula 1 career. It was also a milestone for Ferrari, marking their 836th podium finish. Leclerc started the race in second, behind pole-sitter Norris, and fought off early pressure from teammate Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen. As the laps unfolded, he committed to a one-stop strategy on Medium tyres — a gamble that paid off thanks in part to a timely Virtual Safety Car caused by Carlos Sainz retiring his Ferrari on lap 65.
“We didn’t come here expecting to replicate what we did in Austin,” said Leclerc after the race. “But we executed a second great weekend, this time one step higher on the podium. I was tempted to stop a second time, but decided to stick with the Mediums and make it work. We had some luck with the Virtual Safety Car, which definitely helped with Max closing in.”
Hamilton penalised, Verstappen fights back
Lewis Hamilton’s race was hampered early on by a dramatic tussle with Verstappen on lap six, during which the Dutchman was forced onto the grass. A subsequent clash between the pair led to the stewards handing Hamilton a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He served the penalty during his pit stop on lap 23, rejoining in 14th before eventually finishing outside the podium places in seventh.
Verstappen, meanwhile, recovered from his early incidents to secure third place, but admitted post-race that the pace shown by Norris had been “chastening”. The Red Bull driver remains in the title fight but now sits 36 points behind the McLaren driver with just four races remaining.
Norris delivers flawless drive to reignite title hopes
The day, however, belonged to Lando Norris. The McLaren driver was in a class of his own from the moment he took over the car from rookie Pato O’Ward in second practice. His pole lap was one of the most impressive of the season, and in the race he managed the pressure at the start and maintained control throughout.
“In a way, I think it’s just my best performance through a whole weekend,” said Norris. “Every weekend’s a fresh start, and this weekend I just put everything together. We’ve been good for a few races now, and this win puts us right where we want to be.”
This victory marks Norris’ fourth of the season and moves him back ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings — a significant swing in momentum after a mid-season dip.
Piastri struggles as McLaren sharpens title focus
For Piastri, the weekend was one of damage limitation. He qualified nearly six-tenths behind Norris and spent the race battling through traffic to salvage a fifth-place finish. Team Principal Andrea Stella pointed to the low-grip conditions in Mexico as a factor, suggesting Norris’ adaptability gave him the edge.
“There’s no reason to think one of the final four races will favour one driver over the other,” said Stella. “But what’s clear now is that we have a car capable of dominating, and that’s the key to putting both our drivers in position to fight for the championship.”
With four races to go, McLaren has positioned itself as the team to beat in the 2025 title run-in, while Ferrari and Red Bull remain in hot pursuit.
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Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre