Norris Reclaims F1 Title 'Favorite' Status After Dominant Mexico GP

Lando Norris has re-established himself as a top contender for the 2025 Formula 1 drivers' title, seizing the championship lead by a single point from teammate Oscar Piastri following a commanding victory at the Mexican Grand Prix. This performance has reignited his title aspirations and shifted momentum in his favor after a recent dip.

Why it matters:

• After a period where Max Verstappen's charge and Oscar Piastri's consistent lead overshadowed Norris, his dominant win in Mexico marks a critical turning point in a closely contested championship battle.
• This victory not only provides a significant confidence boost for Norris but also proves McLaren's car has the potential to dominate, reinforcing their title challenge.
• The championship narrative has swung back to Norris, making him a central figure in the final four races of the season.

The Details:

• Dominant Performance: Norris described his Mexican Grand Prix weekend as his "best performance through a whole weekend" of his career, securing his sixth victory of the season.
• Qualifying Mastery: He topped final practice by over 0.3 seconds and secured pole position with a 0.262-second lead over Charles Leclerc, marking his biggest margin over Piastri this season.
• Race Command: Norris crossed the finish line 30 seconds ahead of Leclerc, the largest winning margin of any driver this season, leading every lap.
• Low-Grip Conditions: Team Principal Andrea Stella highlighted that Norris excels in low-grip conditions, a characteristic of the high-altitude Mexican track (7,350 feet above sea level). These conditions lead to less downforce and overheating tires.
  • Lando's natural style: Norris's driving style naturally suits these demanding conditions, allowing him to extract lap time when tires are worn and grip is low.
  • Piastri's challenge: Piastri, conversely, thrives in high-grip conditions, finding the low-grip environment in Mexico less natural.

What's going wrong for Piastri?

• Form Slump: Since Norris retired from the Dutch Grand Prix six races ago, a 34-point deficit to Piastri has turned into a one-point advantage for Norris, despite both driving the same machinery.
• "Mystery" Performance: Piastri described his lack of performance in Mexico qualifying as a "mystery," struggling to adapt to the low-grip conditions.
• Post-Qualifying Analysis: Engineers identified crucial information regarding how the car needs to be driven in Mexico's unique low-grip environment.
• Adaptation in Race: Despite not being able to make setup changes, Piastri adapted his driving style during the race, moving from ninth after the first lap to fifth at the finish, demonstrating significant learning.

What's next:

• Norris's View: Norris remains cautious about the "favorite" tag, emphasizing the tight championship and the need to maintain focus, acknowledging that "every weekend's new, every weekend's different, and there's still a long way to go."
• Verstappen's Challenge: Max Verstappen, despite finishing third and closing his gap to the leader, described his weekend as "difficult" and acknowledged the car's inconsistency in every scenario, indicating that Red Bull still has work to do.
• McLaren's Optimism: Andrea Stella expressed increased confidence, noting that McLaren has proven the car can win and even dominate races. He believes Piastri's learning experience in Mexico is an investment for future competitiveness.
• The final four races will determine whether Norris can maintain this momentum to secure his maiden F1 title.