Norris Cruises to Mexico City Win, Reclaims F1 Championship Lead from Teammate Piastri

Lando Norris made it look effortless in Mexico City, surviving a chaotic opening lap to dominate from lights to flag and reclaim the Formula One championship lead from McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by a single point.

Starting on pole, Norris never looked back, or needed to. The Briton led every lap, finishing more than 30 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while Max Verstappen took third for Red Bull after a scrappy race that included early contact with Lewis Hamilton.

“What a race,” Norris said afterward, drawing boos from sections of the Mexican crowd for reasons unknown. “A pretty straightforward one for me — a good start, good launch, and I could go from there.”

The win,  Norris’s sixth of the season and 10th of his career, marks his return to the top of the standings for the first time in 189 days. He now sits at 357 points, just ahead of Piastri on 356, with Verstappen third on 321 and four rounds left to run.

Leclerc’s runner-up finish was Ferrari’s best showing in weeks, while rookie Oliver Bearman stunned the paddock with fourth place for Haas, the best result in the team’s history. “I held off Max, the Mercs, and the McLaren,” Bearman said. “I spent more time looking in my mirrors than in front.”

Piastri, who had entered the race 14 points ahead of Norris, battled dirty air and an ill-timed virtual safety car that ended his charge for fourth, finishing fifth instead. “It was about limiting the damage today,” the Australian said. “If I learned something, I’ll take that as a win.”

Mercedes endured a bruising afternoon. Kimi Antonelli finished sixth, George Russell seventh, and Hamilton slipped to eighth after a 10-second penalty for gaining an advantage off-track — erasing what would have been his first podium for Ferrari since joining in January.

Esteban Ocon’s ninth gave Haas a rare double-points result, while Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top ten.