Lando Norris on Sunday regained the lead in the drivers’ world championship for the first time in six months when he steered his McLaren to a commanding victory in a breathless Mexico Grand Prix.
Driving with great authority, the 25-year-old Briton came home 30.324 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with four-time champion Max Verstappen third for Red Bull.
For Norris, it was a first win in Mexico, his sixth this season and the 10th of his career — achieved with a near-perfect race from pole position to lift him back to the top of the drivers’ title race by one point for the first time since the Saudi Arabian race in April.
Photo: AP
With four races remaining, Norris has 357 points, ahead of Piastri on 356 and Verstappen, who is third on 321.
“I love it,”Norris said.
“What a race. Thank you guys. I could keep focused, and my eyes forward, and it was a pretty straightforward race for me which is what I was after,” he said. “I just stayed relaxed and I had a really good launch.”
“A beautiful win to celebrate here in this stadium in Mexico,” he added.
Leclerc, who gained his seventh podium of the season, said: “I am very happy with the weekend. We didn’t know what to expect here, so to get on the podium is a nice surprise.”
For Verstappen, it ended his sparkling streak of winning three of the past four races.
“It was very hectic at the start, and I almost crashed out. To be fighting for P2 with all that happened — a strong race for me,” Verstappen said.
Haas teenage rookie Oliver Bearman was a career best fourth ahead of Norris’ McLaren teammate and previously runaway series leader Oscar Piastri, and Mercedes’ young rookie Kimi Antonelli.
The Italian’s teammate George Russell was seventh ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari, Esteban Ocon in the second Haas and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto.
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