Mexico GP ignites the São Paulo Formula 1 Grand Prix

Lando Norris won in Mexico and took the lead in the championship by 1 point. Max Verstappen reduced the gap to the new leader to 36 points. Charles Leclerc finished 2nd and Verstappen 3rd. Oliver Bearman, who finished 4th, was voted “Driver of the Day.” George Russell set the fastest lap. Gabriel Bortoleto gained 6 positions in the race and finished 10th, scoring another point. The organization recorded an attendance of 401,326 people over the three days of the event. The next round will be the São Paulo GP, on November 7, 8, and 9, at Interlagos. A fierce battle is expected between McLaren, Ferrari, and four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

With different tire strategies, the race at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit was very good. The top three finishers made only one stop, as did Gabriel Bortoleto, and ended up performing better. Lewis Hamilton, who cut the track and didn’t return the position, was penalized with 10 seconds.

While Norris started from pole and never lost the lead over the 71 laps, Oscar Piastri started 7th and struggled to overtake, finishing 5th with two pit stops. If he had finished 4th, the Australian would have remained the championship leader. Piastri had been leading the standings since the Saudi Arabian GP. In recent races, however, his performance dropped, allowing Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to close the gap.

If it weren’t for a virtual safety car due to Carlos Sainz’s car stopped on track, Verstappen might have had a chance to overtake Leclerc in the last two laps. Piastri could also have passed Oliver Bearman, although the track doesn’t offer many overtaking opportunities.

The F1 World Championship still has four races and two sprints remaining: São Paulo (with a sprint), Vegas, Qatar (with a sprint), and Abu Dhabi. That corresponds to a maximum of 116 points. The battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is completely open. With a 36-point gap to the leader, Max Verstappen will need to rely on rivals’ mistakes and unlikely mechanical failures. With 33 points at stake (25 for the race win and 8 for the sprint victory), the São Paulo GP could be a key turning point in the fight for the Drivers’ Championship title.