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MEXICO MASTERCLASS: LANDO NORRIS TAKES CONTROL OF THRILLING CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris dominates the Mexico GP, taking a commanding win over Charles Leclerc. The victory propels him back to the top of the F1 world championship, leading teammate Oscar Piastri by a single point.

Mexico masterclass: Lando Norris takes control of thrilling championship
Lando Norris sealed top spot on the grid for McLaren at Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix - AFP via Getty Images

Lando Norris easily defeated McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by one point at the Mexico Grand Prix, regaining the lead in the Formula 1 world championship.

Charles Leclerc finished second, and Max Verstappen finished last on the podium as Norris effortlessly dominated the rest of the field in his commanding McLaren.

While Piastri only started ninth, Norris had the opportunity to close the 14-point gap on him by securing his sixth pole of the season.

The primary battle was behind the poleman, but Norris was able to maintain his advantage despite the lengthy run as cars sped down to Turn 1.

Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc of Ferrari walked side by side before starting fifth. On the outside, Verstappen made it three-wide. The sole driver in the lead who started on mediums rather than softs, the Red Bull driver, ran out of space and landed on the grass in the runoff area.

Leclerc also took the lead by cutting Turn 2, but he judiciously returned the position to Norris. Verstappen lost the third back to Hamilton.

Verstappen slammed Hamilton into Turn 1 on lap six, resulting in a brief collision between the two drivers, with Verstappen crashing through the Turn 2 grass. Oliver Bearman, an opportunistic Haas rookie who had gotten off to a fast start from tenth place, picked Verstappen off as their battle continued into Turn 4, where Hamilton locked up and slid wide.
Russell lost the battle and fell to seventh place behind teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while Piastri momentarily overtook Yuki Tsunoda's second Red Bull before taking seventh place back.

The British driver was given a 10-second penalty after the stewards decided that Hamilton had unfairly benefited from falling off at Turn 4. Hamilton fell to the rear of the battle he was in after taking his penalty at the first pit stop around lap 24.

Leclerc, who was not in danger of finishing second until the very end of the race, was easily overtaken by Norris at the front.

Verstappen continued to use his alternate tactic on mediums, initially falling behind the other five competitors.

Bearman was able to defend against Antonelli, Russell, and Piastri and secure an unexpected podium spot as a result.

Being positioned between his teammate and a charging Piastri and still being asked to take care of his tyres infuriated Russell. The Briton finally got his request to switch places in his pursuit of Bearman after a protracted back-and-forth.

However, Piastri, who was also stranded behind the Bearman train, chose to switch to a two-stop strategy with an additional halt for softs, adding another wrinkle to that midfield struggle. Piastri made the undercut move on Antonelli to finish sixth, still clear of Bearman and Russell, but Bearman and the Mercedes cars all replied.

Verstappen stayed out and unexpectedly re-emerged in third place behind Norris and Leclerc after his competitors' two-stop worked out so well. Verstappen easily held off Bearman by 14 seconds despite being on older softs. He then turned his attention to Leclerc, who was nearing the finish of his race on slower medium tyres.

With two circuits remaining, Verstappen duly caught Leclerc, but the positions were frozen by a virtual safety car for Carlos Sainz's injured Williams. Verstappen had exhausted all of his options for overtaking by the time the VSC was pulled on the last lap.

After defeating Leclerc and Verstappen by 30 seconds, Norris secured his sixth victory of the year and took the lead in the championship for the first time in six months.

After a thrilling effort in the Haas, Bearman finished in fourth place, his career-best finish behind Leclerc and Verstappen.

On lap 60, Piastri also moved down the inside of Turn 1 to pass Russell's other Mercedes for fifth place. Mercedes reversed its position swap as a result, enabling Antonelli to pass his more seasoned teammate and finish sixth.

After his penalty eliminated him from contention, Hamilton ended in a far-off eighth place. In ninth place, Esteban Ocon capped a fantastic day for Haas, while in tenth place, Gabriel Bortoleto secured Sauber's final point.

Three drivers retired from the race, as Fernando Alonso's terrible 2025 luck persisted because of a possible brake problem. Nico Hulkenberg experienced a power problem, and Liam Lawson was forced to retire following contact on the first lap.

Verstappen is currently 36 points behind Norris, who leads Piastri by one point going into the final four races.

OSCAR PIASTRI VS LANDO NORRIS: MCLAREN EXTENDS EQUAL RACING POLICY DESPITE F1 CRITICISM

Despite past criticism, McLaren CEO Zak Brown confirms the "papaya rules" of driver equality will remain for F1 2026, backing the policy that secured their double title.

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McLaren Keeps Fair Policy for F1 2026

McLaren CEO Zak Brown hinted that the team will keep its papaya rules between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for the F1 2026 season.

This season, McLaren got their first drivers' and constructors' title double since 1998, keeping the teams' championship with six races left.

The team had to wait until the final race in Abu Dhabi to get the drivers' title, with Norris beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by two points.

Norris's win made him the 11th British world champion and the first McLaren driver to win the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

McLaren had a policy of total fairness during the F1 2025 season, not supporting one driver over the other, even though Norris and Piastri both had good point advantages during the season.

The team's approach was often criticised, especially after the race in Qatar, where Piastri and Norris didn't pit under an early safety car.

At the time, Piastri and Norris were in first and third place, but they ended up finishing second and fourth after missing a free pit stop, while Verstappen won the race.

At the FIA's prize-giving gala on Friday, Brown said he was happy about Qatar and how McLaren won both titles by being fair to Norris and Piastri.

He also said that the policy would continue next season, saying it’s exactly what we plan to do in F1 2026.

He said, “A great season.

“Everyone at McLaren has done a great job, led by our two drivers.

“And thanks to the job Andrea has done leading our team.

“To go into the final race with two drivers fighting for the world championship, when everyone said that it was impossible, I’m just very proud of how McLaren went racing, and that’s what we plan to do next year.”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said, “The drivers are the ones who do the job.

“They are the ones that deliver the results, the points, the wins, and the podiums, which made us the constructors’ champions.

“We are also very aware of how the drivers acted, allowing McLaren to go racing.

“That’s what we do—we go racing—and we did it with equality and fairness, so thank you to Lando and Oscar.”

NO IMPACT: HELMUT MARKO CONFIDENT MAX VERSTAPPEN SUCCESS WILL CONTINUE WITHOUT MENTOR

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko confirms his retirement, stating that four-time champion Max Verstappen is now independent and doesn't need his guidance.

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Marko Confirms Red Bull Exit After F1 Title Heartbreak

Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport advisor, is sure Max Verstappen will be fine without him. He said his leaving won't have any negative effect on the Dutch driver.

After more than 20 years with Red Bull, Marko announced he would leave. The announcement came after the Abu Dhabi GP, which closed the season.

Marko, at 82, has seen it all in Formula 1. He says he still has the energy to keep going if he wants to.

Marko had thought about retiring if Verstappen tied the record with a fifth straight driver's title. But since Lando Norris beat the 28-year-old, he thinks now is still the right time to leave.

"I still have energy, but that's not the point," Marko told oe24. The point is to keep my enthusiasm and passion for the job. That's what I planned if we won the title.

Since we didn't win, I changed my mind and thought it should still apply now. You have to know when it's time to stop. I was the one in charge.

Marko and Verstappen had a strong relationship. However, the four-time world champion couldn't make a planned meal with Marko.

Max couldn't come to the dinner because of flight issues, Marko said. But we'll meet soon. I don't know if it will happen before Christmas.

Since Verstappen started in Formula 1, Marko has always been there to support him.

They became a strong pair. Marko knows that the Red Bull star doesn't need him anymore.

Things change, so you have to react differently. No one left here because of a fight. Max is old enough now, and he doesn't need anyone to explain things to him. Max is great—he doesn't need anyone.

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