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Norris Takes One-Point Title Lead as Verstappen Calls Chase 'Tough'

Mexico’s late VSC and Mercedes team orders underscored how race control and strategy are shaping the run-in.

Overview

  • Lando Norris dominated in Mexico from pole to reclaim the championship lead by a single point over Oscar Piastri, with Max Verstappen now 36 points back and four rounds remaining.
  • Verstappen said his comeback bid now requires perfection after he finished third, noting he lost 10 points to Norris and was denied a last-lap shot at Charles Leclerc by a Virtual Safety Car.
  • Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies conceded Verstappen lacked a car he could consistently push in Mexico, while Helmut Marko said most inside the team doubted a podium before Verstappen’s strong soft-tyre stint.
  • Mercedes drew criticism from its own drivers after a lap-41 swap between George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with both arguing the call hurt their races and likely cost a shot at P4.
  • Norris credited a frank post-Singapore debrief about the car’s handling for helping unlock recent form, stressing he has found a setup window that lets him extract consistent pace.