F1 news: Mexican GP winners and losers as Lando Norris overtakes Oscar Piastri in championship race

Lando Norris won the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday to move one point ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Eloise Stevens looks at the winners and losers from Mexico City as the fight for the championship gets ever closer.

Winner – Lando Norris

It was a perfect weekend for Norris as he executed his plan with effortless style.

Securing pole position in qualifying and then dominating the race to win by 30 seconds, Norris delivered another perfectly timed blow to Piastri’s championship hopes.

He now sits atop the Drivers’ Championship for the first time since Saudi Arabia.

And with Piastri struggling to get to grips with his McLaren, the momentum now seems firmly in the Briton’s favour.

Loser – Oscar Piastri

Piastri was able to make the most of a difficult weekend by placing fifth in the grand prix after only qualifying seventh, the former aided by Carlos Sainz’s five-place grid penalty.

McLaren’s two-stop strategy, which allowed the Australian to clear both Mercedes cars and chase down Ollie Bearman in the dying stages of the race, provided the damage limitation Piastri needed with Norris claiming a victory.

Yet, it’s hard to see how Piastri can view the weekend as anything other than a disappointment, having now lost the lead in the Driver’s Championship to a main rival who finished 42 seconds ahead of him on the day.

READ MORE: Ferrari F1 driver Lewis Hamilton crowned the World’s Most Marketable Athlete for 2025

Winner – Oliver Bearman

Bearman achieved his best-ever race finish by coming home in P4.

Haas likely believed their first podium was on the cards during the early stages of the race after Bearman’s bold move on Max Verstappen, but the pace of the Red Bull proved too much for the American team.

Nevertheless, Bearman’s drive was one to celebrate as he delivered a commanding performance on a circuit he has little experience with.

Meanwhile, Ocon’s dependable run to ninth secured another vital two points for the team, moving them ahead of Sauber into eighth in the Constructors’ Championship standings.

Loser – George Russell

Frustrating is the right word to sum up George Russell’s race.

After a solid qualifying, the Mercedes driver’s afternoon began to unravel from the first corner as he lost a position to Verstappen.

He was then held up behind team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli for a while before being released to hunt down the Haas of Bearman.

In the end, Russell’s Mercedes simply didn’t have the pace to catch his British compatriot, and Russell crossed the line in seventh after giving the position back to Antonelli.

He might well argue that, had he not ruined his tyres while stuck behind the other Mercedes, he could have made a successful move on the Haas and perhaps snagged a podium.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: F1 news: Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari frustration deepens as internal tensions rise

Winner – Max Verstappen

Verstappen himself admitted that he had no expectations of a podium in Mexico, especially after qualifying only fifth.

Battling for second against Charles Leclerc, therefore, would have come as no bigger surprise to anyone but the Dutchman himself.

After avoiding penalties and escaping a crash at Turn 1, Verstappen was able to minimise his losses for the remainder of the race and might have finished second if not for the virtual safety car.

Interestingly, this solid haul of points could prove even more valuable for his championship hopes than his victory last time out.

Loser – Lewis Hamilton

Everyone agrees that Lewis Hamilton was unlucky this weekend, having jumped Leclerc at the start only to lose the position when the Mongasque cut across the grass.

Hamilton’s race then went from bad to worse as he was overtaken by Verstappen with an ambitious dive-bomb.

The 10-second time penalty he subsequently received for failing to give back the position, or at least the time gained after going off-track, capped off an underwhelming weekend for the British driver, who otherwise might have secured his first podium for the Scuderia.

READ NEXT: F1 news: Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto attracting attention from top F1 teams

Winner – Charles Leclerc

In a race where his team-mate was decidedly unlucky, Leclerc was possibly the luckiest man on the track when the virtual safety car came out on the final lap, thus securing his second place.

Leclerc drove a composed race throughout, though, managing his tyres effectively and keeping close to the leaders despite Ferrari struggling with pace.

The result also saw Ferrari edge past Mercedes to reclaim second in the Constructors’ Championship.

Loser – Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda appeared to start the race with strong pace, keeping Piastri at bay during the opening stages of the race.

His pace likewise matched Verstappen’s during the middle part of the grand prix, but he was halted by a slow pit stop, which left him stuck behind Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar.

Eleventh was ultimately the best the Japanese driver could deliver, leaving him just outside the points.

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: Inside F1’s secrets to building winning teams