Lando Norris Issues Title Statement with Mexico GP Win

Lando Norris won in Mexico to end a run of five races without victory

Lando Norris Issues Title Statement with Mexico GP Win

Norris Strikes Back – Mexico Win Reignites F1 Title Battle

Lando Norris produced a commanding lights-to-flag victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix, reclaiming the Formula 1 championship lead and firmly re-establishing himself as the driver to beat in 2025.

The McLaren star, who lost the lead to teammate Oscar Piastri in April, completed a flawless weekend, dominating qualifying and executing a clinical race to move four points ahead of Piastri in the standings — with just four races remaining.

“It gives me confidence,” said Norris. “One good race means nothing, but I’ve had a few now. The last few months I’ve been good.”

From Rock Bottom to Redemption

Norris has faced a challenging season. After winning in Australia, he watched on as Piastri surged to four victories and the championship lead. A fuel-line failure in Zandvoort threatened to derail his campaign entirely.

But since then, Norris has won four of the last five races, outperforming Piastri — who has managed just two wins all season and has visibly struggled in the last two rounds.

Norris’ performance in Mexico was a statement of intent. Despite missing first practice — handing his car to Pato O’Ward — he returned to dominate the rest of the weekend. He took pole with one of the laps of the season and never looked back.

Mental Fortitude on Display

Norris admitted that doubts had crept in earlier in the season:

“When Oscar was winning and I couldn’t get the car to work, I couldn’t use that as an excuse. I had to dig deep. Now I’ve found a better way to make it work.”

The turning point was a tweak to the front suspension before the Canadian GP. Since then, Norris has looked increasingly comfortable with the McLaren, allowing his natural pace and adaptability to shine through.

Piastri’s Dip in Form

In contrast, Oscar Piastri’s momentum has slowed. After a high in Zandvoort, he has suffered two off-colour weekends in the US and Mexico, finishing fifth in Mexico after qualifying 0.588 seconds behind Norris.

Piastri admitted the last two weekends demanded an unnatural driving style, something he’s still trying to adapt to.

“What’s worked well for me all year hasn’t worked these last two races,” Piastri said. “It’s been a bit of a struggle.”

Stella: Norris Shines in Low-Grip Scenarios

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella offered insight into the diverging performances:

“Lando excels in low-grip conditions, while Oscar prefers high-grip setups. But both are capable of winning — our job is to give them the car to do it.”

Looking ahead, Stella sees no track-specific disadvantages for either driver in the remaining races, though he identified Las Vegas as potentially tricky.

Red Bull and Verstappen Playing Catch-Up

While attention has largely centered around McLaren’s intra-team duel, Max Verstappen remains in the mix. The Dutchman battled to a third-place finish in Mexico but admitted Norris’ pace was a wake-up call.

“We need everything to be perfect to win. It wasn’t this weekend,” Verstappen said. “We still need to understand why we’re not quick in every scenario.”

Verstappen has trimmed his deficit to 36 points, but his post-race tone reflected the growing threat from Woking.