Before the roar of engines echoed through the thin air of Mexico City, the notion of Lando Norris as the undeniable front-runner for the Formula 1 drivers’ title might have drawn a polite, albeit skeptical, nod. Despite two recent podium finishes, the British driver was still trailing his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and watching Max Verstappen close in with alarming speed. The championship math favored Piastri, the momentum seemed to be with Verstappen, and Norris found himself in a peculiar limbo, undeniably a contender but perhaps not yet a favorite.
What unfolded at the Mexican Grand Prix was not merely a victory; it was a statement. A masterclass performance that saw Norris not only reclaim the championship lead by a slender single point but also deliver a profound psychological boost ahead of the season’s climatic final rounds. This was the weekend Norris needed—a resounding affirmation that his championship dream was very much alive.
The Mexican Masterclass: A Display of Dominance
Norris himself described the Mexican Grand Prix as his “best performance through a whole weekend” of his career. Despite conceding the first practice session to local talent Pato O`Ward, he demonstrated an unwavering conviction from the moment he hit the track. Topping final practice by over three-tenths of a second, he then snatched pole position by a remarkable 0.262 seconds from Charles Leclerc. His advantage over teammate Piastri, a substantial 0.588 seconds, marked his largest qualifying margin against the Australian all season, hinting at a growing ability to extract a unique performance envelope from the McLaren MCL39.
Race day further amplified this dominance. Norris crossed the finish line a staggering 30 seconds ahead of Leclerc, recording the largest winning margin of any driver this season and leading every single lap. The question on everyone`s lips: what made him so untouchable?
The Science of Speed: Why Mexico Suited Norris’s Style
“It’s a good question,” Norris mused post-race, with a wry smile, attributing part of it to the car`s inherent speed. However, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella offered a more nuanced, technically informed perspective. He pointed to a recurring theme in Norris’s standout performances: low-grip conditions.
Mexico City’s unique Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, perched over 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level, presents an aerodynamic paradox. The thin air drastically reduces downforce, even with maximum wing settings, making F1 cars feel inherently skittish. Furthermore, tires, starved of oxygen, have a propensity to overheat. These factors combine to create a notoriously low-grip environment.
Stella astutely observed that these “special low-grip conditions” seem to “fit perfectly” with Norris’s natural driving proclivities. “Lando is the driver [you want] when you are going on low grip, end of the stint, when the tires are quite worn and used, the grip is low. It’s where we see Lando go green sector, green sector, green sector.” It appears Norris possesses an innate ability to master a car that is constantly on the edge of adhesion, extracting lap time where others might struggle for stability.
Piastri`s Puzzle and the Path Forward
While Norris soared, teammate Oscar Piastri found himself wrestling with a different kind of challenge. Over the last six races, Piastri’s 34-point lead over Norris has evaporated into a one-point deficit. His qualifying performance in Mexico was particularly perplexing, described by the driver himself as “a mystery.”
McLaren engineers quickly delved into the data, identifying crucial information about adapting to Mexico’s low-grip environment. As Stella explained, “you have to drive the car in a way that adapts to the fact that the car slides a lot and can slide and produce lap time, and this is not necessarily the way in which Oscar feels naturally that he is producing lap time.” This difference in adaptability highlights a fascinating intra-team dynamic, where a driver`s natural style can be perfectly suited or challenged by specific track conditions.
Despite starting ninth, Piastri demonstrated impressive adaptability in the race, climbing to fifth. This weekend, though frustrating in terms of points, served as a valuable “investment” for Piastri, equipping him with new tools for his burgeoning F1 career.
Verstappen`s Shadow: A Champion`s Resilience
Even in what he deemed a “difficult weekend,” Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, continued to underscore his unwavering threat. His third-place finish, which might have been second without a late Virtual Safety Car, added another 15 points to his tally, closing the gap to the championship leader. From a 40-point deficit to Piastri, he now trails Norris by 36 points—a testament to his relentless consistency even when the car isn`t perfectly optimized.
Verstappen’s candid admission that his team isn`t “quick in every scenario” is a subtle reminder that dismissing him from any championship narrative is a folly only the truly optimistic would indulge. The Dutch driver is a master of extracting maximum performance from any given package, and his presence alone keeps the pressure firmly on McLaren.
The Road Ahead: A Three-Way Tango for the Crown
For McLaren, Mexico helped stem the recent tide of Verstappen`s charge. For the first time in five races, a McLaren driver out-battled the Red Bull ace. This renewed competitiveness has injected palpable optimism into the Woking-based squad.
“The confidence in terms of the championship is increased,” Stella affirmed. “It`s increased because we have proven that we have a car that can win races and, in some conditions, can dominate races. This is the most important factor to put Lando and Oscar in condition to pursue the drivers` championship.”
With just four rounds remaining, the 2025 Formula 1 season has morphed into a compelling three-way battle. Lando Norris, having rediscovered his “favorite” tag, now faces the exhilarating challenge of defending it against a determined teammate and a relentless reigning champion. Norris himself, with a champion’s characteristic humility (or perhaps strategic evasion), offered a non-committal “who knows?” regarding his `favorite` status. After all, the heaviest crowns often come with the most intense scrutiny. The final races promise a dramatic conclusion, where adaptability, strategy, and sheer driving brilliance will undoubtedly decide who emerges victorious.
