Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix - Mexico City 2025
STARTING GRID: 1) NORRIS 2) LECLERC 3) HAMILTON 4) RUSSELL 5) VERSTAPPEN 6) ANTONELLI 7) PIASTRI 8) HDJAR 9) BEARMAN 10) TSUNODA 11) OCON 12) SAINZ 13) HULKENBERG 14) ALONSO 15) LAWSON 16) BORTOLETO 17) ALBON 18) GASLY 19) STROLL 20) COLAPINTO
LAP 1: Into the first corner, a great start from Lando Norris as he pulled away from the pack. Both Ferraris were under pressure from Max Verstappen as he tried to go round the outside in turn one but locked up and went across the grass as a result.
In the first few corners multiple cars went off the track and managed to stay out of trouble with a Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and RB all over the lines on the exit of turn 3. Charles Leclerc had to give a place back to Norris for cutting turn 2. Verstappen went ahead of Hamilton after he went off the road in turn 1, although Hamilton was able to get the place back round the outside of turn 5.
The drama continued with multiple cars still battling and some still off track in the early stages of the lap. Lance Stroll spun round at the back of the feed and ended the first lap in last place as a result.
LAP 6: Max Verstappen tried to make a late lunge up the inside of Lewis Hamilton going into turn 1. However, Hamilton was not going to let him pass easily as he fought back. The old rivals were racing like it’s 2021 again with Verstappen leaving the track again and going over the grass before he took 3rd place. Hamilton then had to defend from George Russell on his back as well as trying to attack Verstappen again going into turn 4. He locked up and had to use the escape road.
Russell then went wide as he tried to attack Verstappen around turn 6. With the door open the Haas of Ollie Bearman moved through Russell and lunged up the inside of Verstappen into turn 7. A great move from the rookie as he made the move stick and moved into 4th.
A 10 second penalty for Lewis Hamilton as he went off the track and was deemed to have gained an advantage without using the slip road provided. A penalty he would later serve at his pit stop and would cost him valuable time in the race.
LAP 11: A bad start to the race for World Championship leader Oscar Piastri as he slipped down to 9th from 7th. He was stuck behind the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda until lap 11 where he passed him on the pit straight. A frustrating start for the McLaren but a handy delay for Red Bull as Tsunoda would have been to help the team with keeping Piastri at bay for as long as possible to help his teammate which could be crucial come the end of the race.
LAP 18: As Carlos Sainz came into the pits for his stop he reported jumping from the car as he put his pit limiter on. Replays showed exactly that as it seemed the power unit was making the car jump excessively as he was in the pits.
LAP 24: A replay showed Esteban Ocon going round the outside of Alex Albon in the first corner. He was able to keep the car on the road and swoop round turn 2 to make the overtake and move into 11th. A lovely daring move to move up a place by the French driver.
LAP 41: George Russell is told by his engineer that the rear tyres had temperatures that were “sky high” as he is told to “get them under control”. However, Russell was not happy with being told that due to having the McLaren of Piastri right behind him. He wanted to be let past by Antonelli as he said he had “much more pace than Kimi”.
Russell was then let past Antonelli on the straight from turn 3 and turn 4, but managed to keep Piastri behind him also. A good team move from both drivers to swap the positions and also keep Piastri at bay.
LAP 47: As Oscar Piastri was still trying to make a move on Antonelli in 6th in the first corner, Max Verstappen moved past Lewis Hamilton into 7th. Verstappen on the soft tyres was able to go past with ease. Both men had made their pit stops but the 10 second penalty for Hamilton put him on the back foot in the race against the Red Bull.
LAP 48: Both McLaren and Mercedes decided to pit their drivers at the same time, with a straight race of the quickest pit stop to put their driver out first. The McLaren team was able to leapfrog Antonelli with a quick stop but a slow stop from Mercedes cost them with Antonelli now in 7th.
Hamilton also had a quick stop and put more soft tyres on to try and get back some places but the penalty did put an end to his race before it fully got started. He was still able to maintain a place in the top 10 regardless in 9th.
LAP 60: Another late lunge into turn 1 from Piastri on Russell. There was a brief fight back as the Mercedes tried to go up the inside into turn 2 but he was not able to keep the place. The McLaren moved up to 5th as he tried to rack up as many points as possible in the fight for the title.
A replay also showed the battle for the last points place between Bortoleto and Hadjar into the first corner. The 2 rookies with fantastic wheel to wheel racing with the Sauber prevailing round the outside of turn 1 and inside of turn 2.
LAP 70: The final laps of the race had all eyes on 2 key battles on track. One between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc for 2nd on the podium and the other between Oscar Piastri and Ollie Bearman for 4th. Verstappen and Piastri were chasing down the drivers ahead of them at great speed with the battle seeming to go down to the wire.
However, the Williams of Carlos Sainz spun in the stadium section of the track which caused a virtual safety car. Even though the Williams was placed behind the barriers and appeared to be left in a safe place by the Spanish driver the decision was made to have the VSC for the laps leading up to the end of the race.
A decision which puzzled most people as it seemed to slow the momentum of the battles out on track which could be decisive when deciding the title come the end of the season.
LAP 71: The VSC did end on the last lap with half a lap to go for most of the cars. It was too late for Verstappen and Leclerc to make a move with so little time and corners running out for both the McLaren and Red Bull. Both tried their best to get their moves done but were unable to do so.
A dominant victory from start to finish of the race by Lando Norris, who won the race by over 30 seconds to Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen who made up the rest of the podium. A new World Championship leader in Lando Norris with a lead of just 1 point with only 4 races remaining.
The World Championship is still wide open between the 3 drivers of Norris, Piastri and Verstappen with the Dutchman also only 36 points behind. A vital decision at the end of the race with the VSC that only seemed to benefit Lando Norris in terms of the Championship with both Piastri and Verstappen seeming to lose out on crucial points if they had got past the drivers ahead of them.
An excellent driver from Haas rookie Ollie Bearman landed him a thoroughly deserved Driver Of The Day in 4th place. A career best finish for the English driver who took his chances and kept the McLaren of Piastri behind him at the end of the race to take 12 points. Both Haas drivers ended the race in the points with Ocon taking an additional 2 points in a great weekend for Haas.
A double points finish for Mercedes in 6th and 7th, although they may be disappointed as they started in 4th and 6th and were in a good position throughout the race but slipped down towards the end of the race. Although, still a good points weekend for Mercedes as they continued their battle for 2nd in the Constructors Championship.
Despite a 10 second penalty for Lewis Hamilton he was able to stay in the points and take 8th for Ferrari to help them maintain 2nd in the Constructors Championship by 1 point ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull.
The last of the points places was taken by Gabriel Bortoleto in the Sauber. Another good performance from the rookie with the move on Ocon a highlight into turn 1. The Sauber driver gave Sauber a good weekend even though they were leapfrogged by Haas into 8th in the Constructors due to their high points haul.
Overall a race to remember with non stop action from the first to the last lap. From a victorious Lando Norris leading every lap, to some great racing from all drivers in all areas of the track. Penalties for drivers and virtual safety cars to end the race. A different look at the top of the Drivers Championship with still all to play for. The Constructors Championship has its winner but behind McLaren there can still be a lot of movement from now to the end of the season. Plenty of races to go and laps to race as the 2025 season comes to its conclusion.
RACE RESULT: 1) NORRIS 2) LECLERC 3) VERSTAPPEN 4) BEARMAN 5) PIASTRI 6) ANTONELLI 7) RUSSELL 8) HAMILTON 9) OCON 10) BORTOLETO 11) TSUNODA 12) ALBON 13) HADJAR 14) STROLL 15) GASLY 16) COLAPINTO 17) SAINZ (DNF) 18) ALONSO (DNF) 19) HULKENBERG (DNF) 20) LAWSON (DNF)
