Raceday Recap: Motoring Around Mexico City
Hola a todos, and I hope you all enjoyed watching the Mexico Grand Prix muchísimo! The beginning of this race was crazy, and overall, the race did not disappoint. Let’s consider which drivers came out with the advantage this weekend and which drivers weren’t so lucky.
As we enter the last few races of the 2025 season, qualifying sessions are everything. Lando Norris seems to understand this better than any other driver on the grid, as he has consistently had fantastic sessions and claimed another pole position on Saturday. Charles Leclerc also seems to be on an upward trend, and he took the spot beside Norris on the front row. Lewis Hamilton had a surprising third place grid spot, followed by George Russell in P4, Max Verstappen in P5, and Kimi Antonelli in P6. Carlos Sainz showed up with confidence on Saturday and it paid off, as he took the seventh fastest lap but later occupied the 12th spot on Sunday’s starting grid due to a 5-place penalty from the previous race weekend. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri took Sainz’s 7th place spot, followed by Isack Hadjar in 8th, Ollie Bearman in 9th, and Yuki Tsunoda finishing out the top ten for a strong lineup at Sunday’s race.
A happy Lando Norris after a fantastic qualifying session! Photo courtesy of F1.
No matter the circuit, the first lap of any Formula 1 Grand Prix is usually extremely chaotic. However, lap 1 of the Mexican GP might take the cake this season! From the first turn, Verstappen veered SO wide, with Leclerc right behind him cutting the corner too. Hamilton also had to jut off of the track and into the grass, but because he rejoined the race in an unsafe manner, disregarding the escape road, he received a 10 second time penalty that cost him a few points. Around the same time, Lance Stroll and Franco Colapinto both faced huge spinouts, while Bearman seized the opportunity and took 6th place. All was calm until Verstappen went wide again during lap 6, with Hamilton doing the same but this time taking the escape road after his lockup. Because Verstappen went wide, Bearman was able to overtake and take P4 from the Dutchman. Lap 11 saw the first major action taken by Piastri as he passed Tsunoda for P8 and later got by Albon for P12 after going into the pits. Williams driver Sainz was not so lucky in the pit lane, as his car was broken and seemed to be bouncing and vibrating weirdly. The FIA stewards gave him a 5 second time penalty for “speeding in the pit lane,” and later gave him a drive through penalty for the exact same offense, even though it was clear that the car was not under Sainz’s control. On lap 50, Piastri managed to make it to P6, and advanced to P5 after 10 more laps. On lap 63, Antonelli overtook his Mercedes teammate in order to end the race a place ahead of him. The race ended in a yellow flag as well as a virtual safety car until the second half of the last lap because Sainz went off track and left debris all over the racing surface, which is why there wasn’t much overtaking towards the very end of the race.
This race wasn’t perfect though, as there were a few difficult DNFs to swallow. VCARB’s Liam Lawson was the first driver to retire, as after just a few laps he had to retire due to car damage he picked up at the start in a collision with Sainz around turn 1. Nico Hulkenberg had to exit the race early due to issues with his power unit, and Fernando Alonso also left disappointed after a brake cooling problem.
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix podium! Photo courtesy of Grand Prix 24/7.
Once again, Norris showed how collected he can be on track when he feels confident and the car is working well, and he claimed another race victory this past weekend. Leclerc was happy to stand on the second step of the podium, with Verstappen completing the winning trio. Rookie Bearman was so close to achieving his first podium, but a P4 finish is nothing to be disappointed about - and I’m sure Bearman will find success on the podium very soon. Piastri took home 5th place, followed by the Mercedes boys Antonelli and Russell in P6 and P7. Hamilton managed to steal a handful of points for Ferrari in P8, while Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto came out of absolutely nowhere to claim 9th and 10th.
This was the first McLaren win in Mexico since 1989, and Norris definitely deserved that first place. The Mexico City Grand Prix is full of cultural celebrations, unpredictable weather, and even more unpredictable championship standings. I truly loved watching this race for the first time, and I hope you thought it was fun too - as always, thanks for reading.
Lights out and away we go,
Lucy xx
