New Leader Emerges in F1 Drivers’ Championship
A new frontrunner has surfaced in the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings.
Lando Norris showcased an impressive performance on Sunday, clinching victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix with a margin of nearly 30 seconds over Charles Leclerc, earning the full 25 points available for the day. Norris now holds a slim lead of just one point over Oscar Piastri in the championship race, while Piastri finished in fifth place.
Norris managed to lead from the start, although he faced a chaotic initial lap. The distance from the start line to the first corner at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez is over 800 meters, marking it as the longest on the F1 circuit.
He got off to a strong start, but as drivers approached the first corner, things got crowded at Turn 1, with Norris on the inside and both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton on the outside, joined by Max Verstappen.
Both Verstappen and Leclerc veered off the race line, but when they rejoined, Leclerc briefly took the lead. However, he gave way readily to avoid any penalties, allowing Norris to retake the lead.
From that point, Norris just pulled away from the pack.
Meanwhile, his McLaren teammates were jostling for position, although Piastri dropped several spots after starting seventh. As the laps went on in Mexico City, he struggled a bit, eventually managing to pass both Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in the final moments, finishing fifth. That was probably about the best outcome he could expect given his start.
The concluding moments of the Mexico City Grand Prix were full of drama as Verstappen sought to close the gap to Leclerc. He came close on the second-to-last lap, but a stoppage due to Carlos Sainz Jr. on the track brought out the virtual safety car, halting progress.
Once racing resumed with only a few corners left, Leclerc maintained his second position while Verstappen tried to defend against him. Verstappen crossed the finish line in third, and newcomer Oliver Bearman took fourth, marking the best result of his young career.
“Oh, it was a fantastic weekend. Kudos to everyone. Unbelievable result,” Norris remarked after crossing the finish line. “Great car, thanks for all your hard work. Let’s keep this momentum going.”
Currently, Norris leads the Drivers’ Championship with 357 points, just ahead of Piastri, who has 356 points.
Verstappen remains in third place, having earned 321 points.
“It was a pretty straightforward race for me, exactly what I was hoping for,” Norris shared with James Hinchcliffe at the track.
The provisional standings for the Mexico City Grand Prix are now available.
