A triumphant Lando Norris may have rejected the idea that he has the momentum to win this year’s drivers' world championship, but clearly after his win in Mexico City he is the McLaren driver with the confidence and form to succeed.

Norris and Oscar Piastri’s diverging fortunes since F1's summer break saw Piastri, searching for his lost consistency, scrabbling in pursuit on his way to finishing fifth in a tense, chaotic and sometimes wild Latin American race.

AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Sunday's intense contest at a festive, sold-out Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

NORRIS SHOWS CHAMPION QUALITIES 

By taking both a dominant pole position and then a flawless victory by 30 seconds, Norris stamped his authority on this weekend and boosted his prospects of claiming the title, even if his supremacy was hailed with unexpected boos after the race.

The Briton's reaction, calm and good-humoured, added to his new gloss as a champion in waiting.

"That’s sport sometimes," he said with a half-smile and a shrug. "I don’t know why. I was kind of laughing. I think it made it more entertaining for me.

"I'd prefer it if people cheered for me, but I just concentrate on doing my own thing."

His self-effacing style, previously seen as a weakness, has become a strength as it insulates him against the pressure as he seeks to beat Piastri and the looming figure of Red Bull’s four-time champion Max Verstappen.

He leads Piastri by one point and the Dutchman by 36 points with four races remaining.

Since the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, where he retired with an oil leak and Piastri won, Norris has finished ahead of him everywhere to claw back 35 points and the championship lead for the first time in six months.

OPENING LAPS THRILLS AND DANGERS 

While the spectacle of Sunday’s race, notably in the opening and closing laps, was dramatic and exciting, it was also dangerous and unfair.

The four-abreast charge into the opening corner at the end of an 830-metre straight produced thrills, wheel-banging and two cars leaving the track and gaining positions that they seemingly handed back.

More clashes followed, including a long and late lunge on seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari by Verstappen that, in effect, ended the Briton's podium hopes as he was given a 10-second penalty for rejoining incorrectly.

"It was pretty nuts," said Hamilton. "I was the only one given a penalty…" He did not name them, but Leclerc and Verstappen could have been penalised too.

Mercedes' George Russell also lost out in the first corner melee. "I don't understand how three drivers can cut the first corner and then re-enter where they continued… It allows you to risk everything and have a get-out-of-jail card if you get it wrong. I lost three positions, so I was pretty frustrated."

More seriously, on a day when questions were asked about the stewarding, decisions and crowd behaviour, Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson revealed that he narrowly avoided a fatal accident when two marshals ran across the circuit on lap three.

VERSTAPPEN NEEDS MORE SPEED 

After a blistering run of three wins in five races, Verstappen showed tenacity and his once-familiar aggression to claim third place, but admitted he needed more speed from his car to maintain any real hopes of a fifth title.

"We struggled for pace and, in hindsight, with the tyres... But at least we had the perfect strategy… It's fine to think differently, but we need to be faster," the Dutchman said.

A three-way fight for the drivers’ title is on with McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri looking to end Red Bull’s Max Verstappen reign.

With four races and two sprints left, 120 points are still available, meaning the title is wide open.

Norris has outperformed Piastri in recent rounds, and internal friction—like their wheel-banging in Singapore—could decide the title.

After an eight-race winless streak, Verstappen has stormed back with multiple victories and sprint wins.

Two remaining sprints (São Paulo and Qatar) offer extra points that could swing the championship.

These short-format races add pressure and technical challenges for all contenders.

There is only one place to watch the drama unfold - every single race is LIVE on SuperSport, your World of Champions. Click on the banner below to sign up for DStv Premium.

There has been a shake-up with the 2025 grid and only two teams, McLaren and Aston Martin, have stuck with their lineup from last year.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's switch to Ferrari is the biggest change going into the new season.

Six rookies are set to make their fulltime debut. Oliver Bearman caught the eye when he stood in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari and Kevin Magnussen at Haas last season. The 19-year-old Briton joins Haas on a multi-year contract.

Let's take a look at the full calendar ahead, with full broadcast details for the upcoming GP.

CALENDAR 2025 (all times CAT, GMT+2) 

NEXT UP:

21. Sunday, 9 November 2025
Brazil GP, Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (Interlagos), Sao Paulo

FULL SEASON

 ----- BREAK -----

22. Sunday, 23 November 2025
Las Vegas GP, Las Vegas Street Circuit

23. Sunday, 30 November 2025
Qatar GP, Losail International Circuit

24. Sunday, 7 December 2025
Abu Dhabi GP, Yas Marina Circuit

COMPLETED RACES

1. Australia (Melbourne) - 16 March

• Full race report and video highlights from Australia
  

2. China, (Shanghai) - 23 March 

• Full race report and video highlights from China
  

3. Japan (Suzuka) - 6 April

• Full race report and video highlights from Japan
  

4. Bahrain (Sakhir) - 13 April

• Full race report and video highlights from Bahrain
  

5. Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) - 20 April

• Full race report and video highlights from Saudi Arabia
  

6. Miami - 4 May

• Full race report and video highlights from Miami
  

7. Emilia-Romagna GP, Imola - 18 May

• Full race report and video highlights from Imola
  

8. Monaco - 25 May

• Full race report and video highlights from Monaco
  

9. Spainish GP, Barcelona - 1 June

• Full race report and video highlights from Spain
  

10. Canadian GP, Montreal - 15 June

• Full race report and video highlights from Canada
  

11. Austrian GP, Spielberg - 29 June

• Full race report and video highlights from Austria
  

12. British GP, Silverstone - 6 July

• Full race report and video highlights from Silverstone
  

13. Belgian GP, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 27 July

• Full race report and video highlights from Belgium
  

14. Hungary GP, Hungaroring, Budapest - 3 August

• Full race report and video highlights from Hungary
  

15. Netherlands GP, Zandvoort - 31 August

• Full race report and video highlights from Hungary
  

16. Italian GP, Monza - 7 September

• Full race report and video highlights from Monza
  

17. Azerbaijan GP, Baku City Circuit - 21 September

• Full race report and video highlights from Azerbaijan
  

18. Singapore GP, Marina Bay Street Circuit - 5 October

• Full race report and video highlights from Singapore
  

19. US GP, Circuit of the Americas - 19 October

• Full race report and video highlights from US
  

20. Mexico GP, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 26 October

• Full race report and video highlights from Mexio
  

----- TEAMS -----

Red Bull Racing    
1  Max Verstappen
30 Liam Lawson

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team    
63  George Russell
12 Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Scuderia Ferrari    
16  Charles Leclerc
44 Lewis Hamilton

McLaren F1 Team    
81 Oscar Piastri
4  Lando Norris

Alpine F1 Team    
14  Pierre Gasly
31 Jack Doohan

RB    
22  Yuki Tsunoda
6 Isack Hadjar

Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team    
14  Fernando Alonso
18  Lance Stroll

Williams Racing    
55 Carlos Sainz
23  Alexander Albon[c]

Kick Sauber    
27 Nico Hulkenberg 
5 Gabriel Bortoleto

Haas F1 Team    
87 Oliver Bearman
31 Esteban Ocon

 

Max Verstappen did not expect to finish on the podium at the Mexico City Grand Prix after his struggles in qualifying so the Dutchman was not overly disappointed that a late virtual safety car denied him the chance to turn his third place into second.

McLaren's race winner Lando Norris moved one point clear of teammate Oscar Piastri at the top of the standings, with Red Bull's Verstappen closing the gap at the top to 36 points from 40 coming into Sunday's race.

The four-time world champion started fifth on the grid after complaining of a lack of grip in Saturday's qualifying but the Dutch driver finished less than a second behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who was struggling with his tyres at the end.

A virtual safety car on the penultimate lap, deployed when Carlos Sainz spun and stopped with smoke coming from his Williams, came as a godsend for Leclerc.

"Sometimes the safety car works for you, and sometimes it works against you," said Verstappen.

"Would have been fun, I think, to the end. Well, maybe a bit more fun for me than for Charles defending, but it would have been a fun ending for everyone to watch.

 

Very strong result after a difficult weekend 💪 Thanks team @redbullracing for the good strategy! pic.twitter.com/tQnRHJdCG0

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 26, 2025

 

Verstappen did an extended first stint on medium tyres before switching to softs while his rivals made earlier pit stops. The strategy paid dividends as he moved past Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, after an early battle, on lap 47.

He then climbed to third when several drivers, including Mercedes' George Russell, Piastri and Haas's Oliver Bearman, made second stops.

"Personally, I didn't expect to be on the podium," Verstappen told reporters. "I think even in the first stint, it was not really looking like it. At the time, I thought we were just slow and struggling on tyres.

"Once we bolted on the softs, we were a little bit more competitive, a bit happier," he added.

Rookie Oliver Bearman modestly praised his Haas team's relentless hard work on Sunday after resisting intense pressure and finishing a career-best fourth in the Mexico City Grand Prix.

It was the young Briton's third successive points-scoring finish and equalled the American team's best finish, a performance that underlined he is one of the stars of the future.

"It feels great," said Bearman, 20, in his first full season in F1 after the race in which it seemed he might secure his and Haas's maiden podium finish.

"I'm really happy that is our joint-best finish in the history of the team.

"We had a great race and, of course, I was lucky to be where I was before the first stop, but actually we had the pace to stay there.

"I held off Max (Verstappen) in the first stint. I held off the Mercedes (George Russell) in the second and then the McLaren (Oscar Piastri) in the third, so I was under a lot of pressure.

"I spent more of the time looking in my rear view mirrors than in front, but that is sometimes how it has to be.

"And I'm really proud of the team because it really validates all the hard work we've been doing for the past few races."

 

It could only be Ollie! 🤩@OllieBearman is your @salesforce Driver of the Day in Mexico 👏🇲🇽#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/yD5S0Oad9Y

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 27, 2025

 

Charles Leclerc breathed a sigh of relief after his seventh podium of the season for Ferrari and thanked a late safety car intervention for "saving" his second place in the Mexico City Grand Prix.

"I'm very happy with this weekend and happy to be on this amazing podium again, but I was very happy also to see the safety car at the end," Leclerc said.

"My tyres were completely gone and I could see Mas was coming back on the softer tyre so it was tough, but the safety car saved me.

"It was the most stressful part of the race."

He said the start was "chaos as well... There was Lewis (Hamilton) on the inside and I don't think he expected that and there was Max on the outside and a little bit of contract.

"I had to go straight, but it was stressful too. I thought the race would end there for me and Lewis... Lewis wanted to try take his shot and I would have done exactly the same if I was him. It is completely normal."

 

Notching up a half-century 👏 nicely done, @Charles_Leclerc! pic.twitter.com/1R6RRV8kAw

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) October 26, 2025

 

Seven-time champion Hamilton, who started third and finished eighth after being given a 10-second penalty for gaining an advantage by running off track, said: "It was fun at the start and then it didn't end up that way or the way I had hoped, but that's motor racing.

"At least I got some points."

Verstappen was sanguine about the late Virtual safety car thwarting his charge for second and the early bumps during the opening laps.

"It was very hectic at the beginning of the race for me," he said.

"I had to be on that kerb, kept battling out all the way so almost crashed over the grass and even after that there was a lot going on.

"Everyone around me was on soft tyres and I was on the medium and it looked like a bit of a struggle, so I was just surviving the first stint.

"But once we bolted on the softs I think we were more competitive.

"And the safety car? Well, you win some, you lose some. Sometimes it works for you and sometimes it works against you."

Lando Norris said he plans to continue his policy of being relaxed and focussed on just himself after taking a one-point lead in the Formula One drivers' world championship by winning Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix.

As McLaren teammate and chief title rival Oscar Piastri fought to finish fifth, Norris cruised to a commanding 30-second triumph ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who resisted a late charge by Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen with the aid of a late Virtual Safety Car intervention.

It was Norris's first win in Mexico and the 10th of his career, lifting him to 357 points in the title race ahead of Piastri on 356 and on top for the first time in six months since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in April.

With four events remaining, Norris has seized the momentum and is also 36 points ahead of in-form Verstappen, who has reeled off six consecutive podium finishes to reduce Piastri's 104-point lead at the end of August.

"It's one weekend at a time for me," said Norris, whose competitive mentality and composure has been questioned this season.

"I'm happy and I'm focused on myself. I'm just keeping my head down and I keep to myself.

"It's working for me at the minute so I'm happy... But, what a race. I could just keep my eyes forward and focus on what I was doing."

 

🚨 NEW CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER 🚨

Lando Norris moves into the lead of the Drivers' Championship after his Mexico victory! 👏#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/kMCju8qkEe

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 26, 2025

 

Staying calm amid a carnival atmosphere at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, he added: "It was pretty straight-forward, which is just what I wanted. A good start, a good launch and a good first lap... And then, I could go from there.

"I just stay relaxed and it helps. It helped me get a good start and it's the best thing.

"For me, this is awesome and I love it, my first win in Mexico and what a beautiful one to win here in this stadium."

TRYING TO LEARN

Piastri, who emerged from a mostly desultory weekend with a feisty race, admitted that he had to change his driving style to adapt to circumstances after seeing how Norris has adapted in recent races.

"Today, there was a lot of fight. The whole race I was right behind someone and struggling with dirty air, so that was pretty difficult," Piastri said.

"For me, the biggest thing is trying to learn the things I want to learn. Yesterday, it became obvious after the session that there were a few things I had to change pretty majorly in the way I was driving.

"Today was about first trying to implement that. If I've made some progress with that I will be happy, but obviously, when your teammate wins the race, finishing fifth is not that extravagant.

"I think I've had to drive very differently in the last couple of weeks. It has been a bit to get my head around. I've been driving the same all year, but the last couple of weeks the car and tyres required a different way of driving.

"I've not really gone to that. I tried a few things today. It is nothing to do with the car. Given how the pace had differentiated in the last couple of races – Lando has found it easier to dial into that and I haven't.

"It's about adding tools to the toolbox rather than reinventing myself."

 

A 10/10 performance for his 10th Grand Prix win.

A weekend to remember in Mexico City. Until next year 🇲🇽🧡#McLaren | #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/zrj1SUM6T6

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 27, 2025

 

Lando Norris beamed with pleasure on Saturday after turbo-charging his bid for the Formula One drivers' world championship by grabbing pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix while rivals struggled in his wake.

The 25-year-old Briton, who is 14 points behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and 26 ahead of third-placed four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, powered to a stunning fastest lap in one minute and 15.586 seconds.

It carried him 0.262 seconds clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who was three-tenths adrift. Mercedes' George Russell was fourth and Verstappen fifth while Piastri struggled to qualify eighth.

"I'm here to win and I am looking forward to it," said Norris, who showed a mental edge and performance to give him confidence after several weeks of pressure.

"I know I have some very quick guys behind me and it's a long run to Turn One, but I'm focused.

"I've not been sleeping well lately so that's maybe the key to everything. I've had good races here in the past, so I'm just focusing on what I can control and that's all I can do."

Norris drove with a freedom that was in contrast to the pressurised Piastri, who was unable to match his teammate’s pace at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

"I'm happy to be back on pole," said Norris. "It has actually been quite a long time, so it's a good feeling. My lap was one those laps where you don't really know what happened. It felt decent, but when I crossed the line I was very pleasantly surprised.

"I've been feeling good all weekend, especially today. I got a little bit nervous of the Ferrari at the end of Q3, but I pulled it out when it mattered and I'm happy because of that."

'EXPECTING A BATTLE'

It is his first pole in Mexico, his fifth of the season and the 14th of his career, as well as his first since the Belgian Grand Prix in July. For McLaren, it is a first Mexico pole since Gerhard Berger in 1990.

Looking ahead to the race, Norris added: "The race pace from the Ferraris is usually very strong, so I'm expecting a battle and I'm not expecting it to be easy.

"Eyes forward. And I will see how much I can win by."

His teammate Piastri, who had a 39-point lead at the end of August, was downcast.

"I will try my best," he said. "It is an opportunity to make some progress forwards.

"Everything feels OK, but there's just no pace, which is a bit of a mystery. It has been more or less the same gap all weekend.

"We'll have a look at where I was going wrong and I would say it's all a bit frustrating. This week and last weekend the car has felt like the pace hasn't come. I'm not 100 per cent sure why and we need to do some digging."

Formula One leader Oscar Piastri said his vanishing speed was "a bit of a mystery" after struggling to seventh on the grid in Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying while teammate Lando Norris took pole position.

Norris lapped the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Saturday with a time 0.6 seconds quicker than the Australian. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were second and third.

Piastri qualified eighth but moves up a place thanks to Williams' Carlos Sainz carrying a five-place grid penalty from Austin.

"I'm a bit frustrated with how the session's gone," Piastri told reporters. "There's a lot of things I could worry about, but ultimately, being that far off when you feel like you've done a reasonable job is a difficult place to be."

The gap between the McLaren teammates has been stubbornly consistent all weekend, leaving Piastri searching for answers. "Clearly one of the cars was quick (today), so we need to try and work out why I'm not," he said.

What was particularly frustrating for the 24-year-old, who is 14 points ahead of Norris and 40 clear of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who qualified fifth, was that he felt he had not fundamentally changed his approach.

"I've not changed really how I'm driving since the start of the season, and even a few races ago when things were going really well," he said. "It's difficult to pinpoint where the lap time's been lacking this weekend."

The issues echo problems from Austin, dashing hopes those were track-specific.

"In some ways, not too dissimilar," Piastri said. "Some of the things that were difficult in Austin are also proving difficult."

Despite the frustration, he remained optimistic about Sunday's race prospects.

"I'll try my best. I think if I can unlock the pace of the car, then we can have some fun. We're just going to try and unlock it."

Lewis Hamilton said he was perfectly placed to secure a first podium with Ferrari, after qualifying third in Mexico on Saturday, and planned an aggressive start with nothing to lose.

The seven-time world champion, who joined the Italian team in January from Mercedes, enjoyed his best qualifying in 20 races this season with teammate Charles Leclerc just ahead in second place.

"This is the first time we've both been up in the top three in qualifying this year and the team truly deserves it," said Hamilton, enjoying being back in a post-qualifying press conference.

"P3 (third on the grid) is kind of the perfect spot actually, at this track, so I'm hoping I can make the most of that at the start. I think our race pace is not too bad."

Hamilton is a two-time winner in Mexico, also clinching his 2017 and 2018 world championships at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

"I'm finally figuring out how to drive this car that Charles has been fortunate to drive for the past seven years in terms of the characteristics. I'm finally feeling like I'm getting there," he said.

Hamilton said he would be "racy" at the start, with McLaren's Lando Norris on pole.

"I don’t have anything to lose, but he (Norris) does ... we’ll be quite aggressive, I’m pretty sure. Hopefully, we’ll be close enough to put up a good fight," said the Ferrari driver.

Norris could retake the championship lead from teammate Oscar Piastri if results go his way, while Ferrari have nothing to fight for other than second in the constructors' standings.

Monday will be the anniversary of Ferrari's last Formula One victory and Leclerc, who was on provisional pole until Norris put in a storming late lap, said it would mean a lot to win.

"We will do everything in order to get the first place into the first corner and then we'll see what's possible."

Leclerc doubted he would have had the pace to match Norris's time, even if he had been able to go again, but was happy with the car's performance.

"I think he (Norris) will be very strong tomorrow for sure but the start is definitely a chance for us to try and make something special, even though we're starting second on the dirty side (of the track)," said the Monegasque.

Title-chasing Lando Norris produced a stunning late lap in his McLaren to grab pole position for Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix and boost his championship challenge on Saturday ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Norris's teammate and series leader Oscar Piastri, who leads him by 14 points in the championship, qualified down in eighth after a disappointing session, three places behind four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who is 40 points behind in third.

The 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap of one minute and 15.586 seconds to beat Leclerc by 0.262 seconds with seven-time champion Hamilton three-tenths adrift.

LANDO NORRIS IS ON POLE IN MEXICO! 👏🥇

What. A. Mighty. Lap! 🤯#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/7SgrKe9lr6

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2025

Mercedes’ George Russell was fourth ahead of Verstappen and Italian teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, Carlos Sainz of Williams and Piastri. Sainz faces a five-place grid penalty.

Racing Bulls' rookie Isack Hadjar was ninth and Oliver Bearman of Haas 10th.

It was Norris’s first pole in Mexico, his fifth this season and the 14th of his career as well as McLaren’s first Mexico pole since 1990.

"I'm happy to be back on pole, it's been a long time," said Norris whose last pole came at the Belgian Grand Prix in July.

"My lap – it was one of those laps where you don't know what happened - it felt decent, but when I saw it was a 15.5, I was surprised.

"I've had some good races here in the past and I'll just focus on what I can control.

"I'm here to win," Norris added. "I'll be looking forward, I have some quick guys behind me – I'm not expecting it to be easy."

P1️⃣ for Lando! 👏🥇#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/BhNw07EVWk

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2025

Leclerc called it a "difficult qualifying because there is so little grip.

"It's very tricky, but I am happy with the job I've done," he said.

HAMILTON BREAKTHROUGH

Hamilton, having taken his first top three qualifying spot since joining Ferrari, said: “I am so happy. I am honoured to be here with these guys who have been so quick all year – and my first top three all year!”

In hot conditions and a festive atmosphere, Aston Martin's two-time champion Fernando Alonso clocked an early opener before being overhauled by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and then a flying Norris in 1:17.147.

Leclerc went second, adrift by a tenth, but Piastri was seven-tenths slower in 10th.

The track was ramping up in the sunshine, enabling faster laps and the entire field were within a second of Norris before Hadjar, sporting an Alain Prost tribute helmet to mark the four-time champion’s 1990 win in Mexico, went top in 1:16.733 with a late lap ahead of Hamilton.

It was the first time this year that a Racing Bulls driver had been on top in any segment of qualifying.

What a Qualifying! 😇

Lando Norris secures pole position, with the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton behind him on the grid 👀#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/G66l8Oh614

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2025

Both Alpines, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, Williams’ Alex Albon and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto were eliminated in a tight finish as tyres and temperatures emerged as decisive factors.

Q2 began with fast laps on new softs from Verstappen and Leclerc before Norris went top in 1:16.252, four tenths clear Leclerc. Piastri was a second down on his teammate in 10th after the first runs and complained of a powertrain issue that hampered him.

Verstappen led the way again for the second runs and with the aid of a tow from teammate Yuki Tsunoda went second, 0.353 off Norris's lap, before being beaten by Hamilton while Piastri squeezed into the top ten in seventh. Hadjar hung on in 10th.

Out this time went Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon of Haas, Hulkenberg, Alonso and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls.

Verstappen led the way again in Q3 to clock 1:16.455 and was overhauled immediately by Norris in 1:16.170. Hamilton went second before Leclerc soared to the top in 1:15.991 – an improvement of seven-tenths to secure provisional pole.

Ferrari were clearly enjoying a surge of pace that left Piastri fifth behind both of his main title rivals and set up a thrilling finale with the second Q3 runs.

This time, the Australian was first out of the pitlane, hoping for a dramatic change of fortunes. Instead he wound up eighth as Norris charged to the top.

Title-chasing McLaren driver Lando Norris topped the times ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton with series leader Oscar Piastri fifth and Max Verstappen sixth in Saturday's third and final practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

In a tensely-contested session, the 25-year-old Briton, who is 14 points behind McLaren teammate Piastri in the drivers' championship, clocked a fastest lap in one minute and 16.633 seconds to outpace seven-time champion Hamilton by 0.345.

Mercedes' George Russell was third ahead of Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari with Piastri and Verstappen behind them, a confidence-boosting outcome for Norris as he seeks a first Mexican win to overhaul a faltering Piastri.

Lando Norris tops the timesheets in final practice! 👏💨

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell secure P2 and P3 in a closely-fought session 👀#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/WvfuvfaKJC

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2025

Kimi Antonelli was seventh in the second Mercedes ahead of Racing Bulls’ star rookie Isack Hadjar, Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was unable to make a late soft tyres run due to a mechanical issue on his Aston Martin and finished 20th, but it was a competitive hour of action.

The session began with Lance Stroll leading Aston Martin teammate Alonso out in near-perfect conditions at the dusty and slippery Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Much of the overnight paddock gossip had focussed on McLaren’s race pace in second practice when, despite Verstappen’s one-lap speed, there was an air of confidence that suggested the Friday run times had disguised their potential.

It's Lando fastest in FP3 with an impressive lap on the soft tyres! 💨

Up next: Quali 😇#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/vztmxKVdgL

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2025

It had been a disappointing day for Piastri, down in 12th, which prompted 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve to suggest he had lost confidence.

"We didn’t hear a lot of confidence and his driving has been messy since Baku," he told Sky Sports F1.

"That can make a tenth or two difference… A little mistake here and there and it gets to your head.

"And seeing Max at the front, that's going to eat him all evening. If you’re running and looking backwards, things go wrong and that’s what’s happening.

"It might not be down to the car. The driver just needs to be a little bit tense behind the wheel and that's it - it’s gone. He doesn’t feel the car anymore, doesn’t drive it smoothly and starts making mistakes."

Remaining calm, and removed from the incessant speculation about the title race, Piastri waited 18 minutes to go out soon after Sainz had gone top on softs for Williams ahead of Verstappen with Norris third, the trio separated by only 0.037 seconds.

Most drivers were on mediums and working their way into the session with Piastri clearly sticking to a programme that did not require him to compete at that stage, taking a ‘big picture’ approach to the job.

Norris though emerged top with a blistering effort, Piastri responding by going third until pushed back by Russell.

At least one team looks likely to be in breach of cost caps in the yet-to-be published Formula One accounts, Sauber team boss Jonathan Wheatley said on Friday.

The sport's governing body has held off publishing the accounts for the 2024 season, triggering speculation about the reason for the delay. Confirmation of compliance in previous years has come much earlier.

"I think the delay in announcing made it very clear to all of us that there were some teams in trouble, or a team in trouble perhaps. Nobody's doing it intentionally. These things happen sometimes," Wheatley told a press conference at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur urged caution against drawing conclusions from rumours, however, saying teams must trust Formula One's governing body, the FIA, to complete its work.

"I think it’s not a big deal to have the decision in September or October at the end of the day. On this, we have to trust the FIA that they are doing their job. And I think it’s not an easy one, honestly," he said.

"We have to separate sporting advantage with a sporting penalty from a technical mistake or administrative issue," he added.

Wheatley also noted that unexpected costs can arise from incidents like car crashes as teams face the increasing challenge of managing budgets while maximizing spending under the cost cap, now in its fourth year.

Haas team principal Ayo Komatsu said that teams must adjust their processes and await the outcome.

The FIA said in a statement the Cost Cap Administration was finalising its review of 2024 financial submissions, with an announcement expected soon. The FIA would not comment on individual cases.

Max Verstappen continued his Formula One comeback charge with the fastest time in practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix on Friday while McLaren rivals struggled.

Red Bull's four-time world champion, who has roared back into contention after being 104 points adrift at the end of August, lapped the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in a best time of one minute 17.392 seconds despite complaining the medium tyre was like driving on ice.

The Dutch driver is 40 points adrift of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, and 26 behind the same team's Lando Norris, with five rounds remaining.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, fastest in a sunny first session with nine rookies or reserves replacing regular race drivers in line with regulations to give them track time, was second on the overall timesheets but 0.153 slower.

Max Verstappen tops the timesheets in FP2 👏💨

It's Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli who complete the top three 🤝#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/0oT0pLdXZv

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 24, 2025

LINDBLAD FASTEST OF THE NON-RACE DRIVERS

Verstappen had given up his car to up-and-coming F2 driver Arvid Lindblad for first practice and the Briton looked after it well while still going sixth fastest - best of the non-race drivers.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli was second and third in the respective sessions, with Norris fourth and 0.251 off the pace after sitting out the first practice while Mexican IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward took his car.

Piastri was fourth in the first session and 12th in the later one.

"It was okay," the Australian said of his performance. "The lap on softs, on low fuel, was pretty average, so I'm not surprised with the lap time.

"It's going to be tight, like always, but I think we have a good car underneath us."

Lindblad, strongly tipped for a seat at Racing Bulls next season, caught the eye as much as anyone in the opening session

"He did a very good job. It's so difficult to jump in. The pace is there, so not much to argue against that," said Red Bull principal Laurent Mekies, whose other race driver Yuki Tsunoda was eighth in the same session.

"I was given the pep-talk beforehand," said Lindblad, of stepping into Verstappen's car. "Obviously you never want to crash but there was even more emphasis on that in the session because of the amazing job the team have done over the last few races to bring themselves into the championship."

Sauber were the only team not to run a non-race driver.

Estonian reserve Paul Aron replaced Pierre Gasly at Alpine for session one and was 15th, with Argentine Franco Colapinto ninth in the team's other car as the Renault-owned outfit assessed options for next season.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton handed his Ferrari over to endurance racer Antonio Fuoco, who was last on the timesheets. The Briton returned to set the fifth fastest time.

Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies said on Friday his team will cut out the 'silly games' that led to them being fined 50,000 Euros for tampering with McLaren's grid tape in Austin last weekend.

Mekies, who took over at Red Bull following the dismissal of Christian Horner in July, said his team had gone too far interfering with the tape used to indicate Lando Norris's position on the grid.

A Red Bull team member entered the grid area after the start of the formation lap at last Sunday's United States Grand Prix and tried to tear the tape off the pit wall.

"I think there has been a bit of silly games being played for a few races between the teams and it probably got out of hand," Mekies told Sky Sports F1. "Moving forward it will be more in control."

Norris, who finished the race second behind four-time champion Max Verstappen, said he thought it was 'amusing'.

"Good job by them because they can, but it didn't matter," he said. "I didn't use the tape. So, it was extra amusing because I didn't need it.

"We just put it there in case so it made it extra funny because they got a penalty for it and I didn't even need it."

Gamesmanship to gain an advantage by any means has been common in Formula One for many years, but is rarely uncovered and punished.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc topped the times ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in Friday's rookie-packed opening practice for this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix.

Series leader Oscar PIastri of McLaren, looking for a return to form, was fourth behind Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, four-tenths off the pace in a session when his main rivals were inactive as nine teams obeyed sporting regulation requirements to run reserves.

Leclerc clocked a best lap in one minute and 18.380 seconds to beat Italian rookie Antonelli by 0.107 with Hulkenberg three-tenths adrift and Piastri further back ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto in the second Sauber.

British rookie Arvid Lindblad was an impressive sixth for Red Bull in the car usually occupied by Max Verstappen, ahead of Haas’s Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.

Alex Albon was 10th for Williams ahead of Racing Bulls’ regular impressive rookie Isack Hadjar, two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Mexican Patricio O’Ward in Lando Norris’s McLaren and Dane Frederik Vesti in George Russell’s Mercedes.

For Piastri, 14 points ahead of Norris and 40 ahead of Verstappen in the drivers’ title race, it was hardly the emphatic statement of intent he and McLaren may have hoped for on a bright and warm day at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where the thin air affects aerodynamics and turbochargers.

With nine rookie reserves standing in for established drivers – only Sauber sticking with their usual pairing – the session provided an opportunity for Piastri to take advantage of the absences of Norris, Verstappen, Russell and Hamilton who would have only one hour of practice to adapt.

The Dutchman, who has won three of the last four races, had the satisfaction of knowing Red Bull had brought another set of upgrades to Mexico including a revised floor while McLaren continued, as they had for several weeks, without any car updates.

Given that fillip, it was no surprise that several paddock observers were expecting Verstappen to deliver more stress for McLaren who were warned late Thursday, by Hamilton, that they needed to "dig deep" to resist his charge for a fifth title.

'HIGH LEVEL'

@You really have to be cut-throat," said the seven-time champion.

"That’s what Max is and he’s going to take this from them if they don’t do the same. They’ve got to be pushing."

His Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc added: “Max is always driving at a very high level and Red Bull is probably the one team that has pushed developments more than any other.

"I think McLaren stopped quite a while ago. We also stopped quite a while ago and Mercedes and Red Bull are the two teams that pushed for a bit longer so it is not a complete surprise.”

On track, Leclerc set the opening best lap in 1:21.939 before a brief best time from Esteban Ocon preceded Piastri taking control in 1:21.570.

Ocon replied with 1:20.934, trimmed by Hadjar in 1:20.128 – and then Piastri, on softs, did 1:19.035 to go clear by a second.

In the improving conditions, as the track ‘rubbered in’, further soft-compound laps from Leclerc and then Antonelli took the initiative, the Italian posting 1:18.487 to go two-tenths clear before Leclerc responded again with 1:18.380.

Ferrari’s form in Texas, coupled to their latest upgrades, clearly buoyed the team, adding another threat to Piastri’s hopes of recovering his pre-September consistency and boosting his title bid with a win.

Lewis Hamilton has warned McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris they risk losing the Formula One title to Max Verstappen unless they are more 'cut-throat' about how they race the resurgent champion.

The McLaren teammates are separated by 14 points after 19 of 24 rounds, with Red Bull's Verstappen 40 adrift of leader Piastri but catching up fast after three wins in the last four races.

"The pressure is high," Ferrari driver Hamilton, who with Mercedes battled Verstappen down to the wire for the 2021 title won by the Dutch driver, told Sky Sports television ahead of this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix.

"It's definitely a time where you really have to put your blinkers up, you have to block absolutely everything from the outside, all this because there's so much coming in, positive and negative.

"Also you really have to be cut-throat. That's what Max is, he's going to take this from them if they don't do the same," added the Briton, who took the first of his seven titles with McLaren in 2008.

"They've got to be pushing and you have got to dig deep to, firstly, be able to hold off someone like Max and in the car that he's in at the moment.

"But, also, for either of them to come out ahead you know consistency is key and you've seen that from Max in the last few races."

Verstappen has won five races to Piastri's seven, with Norris also on five, so far this season.

The four-times world champion had a dip in form mid-season and was 104 points behind Piastri after his home Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.

He has taken 119 points out of a possible 133 in the last five rounds, including a maximum score in Austin last weekend when he won both the Saturday sprint and main grand prix from pole position.

Hamilton, 40, has been little more than a bystander to the title battle this season with Ferrari yet to win a race in 2025. The Briton has yet to stand on the podium with the team he joined in January.

Lando Norris expects to benefit from McLaren's decision to remove sporting 'consequences' from clashes with teammate Oscar Piastri in their battle for the Formula One drivers' championship.

The repercussions, details of which were never disclosed by the team, were imposed after Norris gained from forcing the Australian wide at the first corner in Singapore.

The pair collided in Austin during a sprint race last Saturday, forcing both to retire, and Piastri revealed in Mexico on Thursday that he had taken responsibility and they would be starting with a clean slate.

"It's better for my interests," Norris, 14 points adrift of Piastri after 19 of 24 rounds, told reporters at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

"I don't know if relieved is the right word. It wasn't like I was sweating before, but it gives me better chances in races," added the Briton.

"It was certainly a disadvantage. I would never choose it."

The Briton has been steadily eroding Piastri's lead, beating the Australian in the last four races but also losing ground to Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, who is now 40 points off Piastri.

Norris said he was still in a good position with five rounds remaining.

"I probably prefer being first, but I'm also in second with nothing to lose. So, no, I'm in a comfortable place," said the 25-year-old, who finished overall runner-up last year.

Norris said he did not believe in momentum, with every race weekend different and the car and track characteristics changing.

He also emphasised how tricky to drive he still found McLaren's 2025 car, which he said was incredibly quick once in the elusive perfect performance window.

"I clearly found last year's (car) easier to understand and easier to get the most out of than I do this year," added the Briton, making clear he was not seeking to make excuses.

"You have weekends where things suit you a bit better and others not. In the end there are days when I can't get as much out of the car as Oscar does. And there are days I get more out of the car than Oscar does.

"I'm trying every weekend to still do a better job but it's pretty impossible to figure out.

"Still, even at this point of the year, to figure out how to do every type of corner, how to produce every lap in every condition, it's just not something I can do anywhere near as well as last year."

Resurgent Formula One champion Max Verstappen rejected a suggestion he had "lost interest" when Red Bull were struggling earlier this season and said he had always fought hard for every point.

The Dutch driver was responding at the Mexican Grand Prix on Thursday to a comment by Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko, a close ally who has played an important role in the Dutch driver's career.

"Max at one stage when we were not competitive, I would say he lost a little bit of interest," the 82-year-old Austrian told Sky Sports television in Texas last weekend after the driver won the sprint and main race from pole position.

Verstappen fell 104 points behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri at the end of August but has since roared back with three wins in the last four races.

He is now 40 points behind the Australian with five rounds remaining and back in contention for what would be a fifth successive title.

"Of course it's more enjoyable coming to the race weekends like this than knowing that you don't have a chance to win," the driver, a five-times winner in Mexico, told reporters.

"But I know for myself that when I sit in the car, I always try to maximise everything that I have. And I give it everything.

"So even if I'm fighting for fourth or even ninth, I will always try to get the best out of it."

Verstappen has a keen interest in sportscar racing, competing and winning in the GT3 category at the Nuerburgring last month.

Marko had suggested the driver was allowed to do that "to keep him in a good mood".

"Now that the car is working, and his success at the Nurburgring, I would say two tenths just came from him because he's really motivated ... you don't hear him shouting, he's smiling - that's what you need," he added.

Verstappen said the Nuerburgring race had been arranged far in advance and he had been competing online during the season and on F1 weekends for years already.

"There's nothing really that has changed in terms of how professional I approach my race weekends," he said.

Verstappen said the upturn in the car's performance was a "combination of a lot of things" including upgrades that allowed it to run in a different configuration.

"These cars are super-sensitive, right? So you're sliding a bit less, the tyres also work a bit better and that gives you also better race pace.

"So it's a lot of things that just came together that suddenly unlocked quite a bit more pace within the car. And that gives me more confidence and allowed us also to set up the car a little bit more aggressive."

Lewis Hamilton hopes Ferrari can repeat last year's Mexican Grand Prix triumph this weekend but teammate Charles Leclerc sounded a more pessimistic note on Thursday, saying a victory looks out of reach without "strange things happening".

Carlos Sainz, who is now driving for Williams, delivered Ferrari's last victory 12 months ago in Mexico, with the team now on a 23-race winless streak.

"I think we were very strong here last year. So I'm hoping that we can take the learnings that they had last year and apply them this weekend," Hamilton, who has yet to stand on the podium since joining the Italian team in January, told reporters.

The seven-time world champion faces the additional challenge of missing the first practice session, with endurance racer Antonio Fuoco taking the seat to gain Formula One experience.

"I'm missing P1, so this weekend I need to learn to run straight away pretty much," he added.

Leclerc struck a more downbeat tone about Ferrari's immediate prospects.

"At the moment it doesn't seem very likely that we are going to fight for the win this weekend but never say never," he said.

"Last year obviously was a very positive weekend for the team. Carlos was actually very strong the whole weekend and it was difficult for me to get close.

"I hope we can reproduce that, but I feel like we are further away compared to last year," added Leclerc, who is fifth in the drivers' championship and has been on the podium six times this season.

"So until the end of the season, I think it's going to be very tough to win races in a normal race without any strange things happening."

Lewis Hamilton opened up about the recent loss of his beloved pet bulldog Roscoe on Thursday, revealing how grief has brought him closer to fans around the world, especially ahead of Mexico's Day of the Dead.

Mexican Grand Prix fans and race organisers have created tributes at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez including a statue of Roscoe in an altar for the November 2 celebration.

"I felt like I'm connecting with people so much more through this kind of grief period," said seven-time world champion Hamilton.

"Fans have sent paintings and drawings of Roscoe, although my house is really quiet now."

This video of Lewis Hamilton getting emotional after seeing Roscoe shirt 😢💔pic.twitter.com/iSicnrRluc

— LH44(A) (@LH44Fanpage8) October 21, 2025

When told of the Mexican legend that dogs help souls cross the river to the afterlife, the Ferrari driver smiled.

"Yeah, he'll be asking me to carry him over the river, probably, because he never liked water," he said.

Hamilton reflected on how the outpouring of support has been particularly meaningful during turbulent times.

"For me, it's been just really encouraging to see just in a time in the world where everything feels, it can feel very dark, and there is such a great divide, and particularly when you look at the people that are running these countries seem to have no empathy," he said.

Hamilton explained how his love for animals influenced his decision to follow a plant-based diet, and how he had defied family scepticism about getting his own dog due to his travel schedule.

"You learn about a lot of empathy. You feel just love like that you could not get from anywhere else, really. They bring such happiness to you, they're just the most joyous beings in the world," he said.

Despite the loss, Hamilton keeps Roscoe's memory alive at home. "I still have his bed and his toys everywhere, so he's still much a part of the furniture," he said.