Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen was robbed of the opportunity to claim P2 in Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix after late drama with a virtual safety car prior to Lando Norris taking the race win.
With just two laps to go, yellow flags were waved and a VSC was called after Carlos Sainz’s Williams came to a standstill. Though the VSC ended just before the race did, Verstappen had been robbed of the opportunity to catch up to Charles Leclerc, with the Dutchman crossing the line in third.
Norris crossed the line in Mexico City way ahead of the rest of the pack, having led every lap from pole position.
His team-mate Oscar Piastri had to finish fourth or higher to remain in the lead of the championship in the instance of Norris taking the win, but he only crossed the line in fifth, so McLaren’s British star now leads the title race Norris for the first time since the Saudi Arabian GP back in April.
Sunday's race in Mexico City was littered with FIA investigations and penalties from the stewards, many of which stemmed from the chaos on the opening laps.
On lap 15, Hamilton was handed a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at Turn 4, which Sky F1’s Karun Chandhok felt was ‘poorly communicated’ to the champion over team radio.
On lap 20, it was then announced the stewards were also investigating an incident at Turn 1 between the Ferrari star and Max Verstappen, but no further action was taken.
Hamilton served his 10-second penalty during his pit stop on lap 24 and came back out on track way down in 14th, leaving him chasing the pack leaders for the majority of the race.
Three drivers didn't make it to the chequered flag at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Liam Lawson's race ended after just nine laps after picking up damage from his opening lap contact with Carlos Sainz. Nico Hulkenberg was forced to retire with a power unit issue on lap 28 and on lap 36, two-time champion Fernando Alonso also retired.
F1 Results: Mexican Grand Prix 2025
| Position | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | — |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +30.324sec |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +31.049sec |
| 4 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +40.955sec |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +42.065sec |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +47.837sec |
| 7 | George Russell | Mercedes | +50.287sec |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +56.446sec |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +75.464sec |
| 10 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +76.863sec |
| 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +79.048sec |
| 12 | Alex Albon | Williams | +1 LAP |
| 13 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1 LAP |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1 LAP |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1 LAP |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1 LAP |
| DNF | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +4 LAPS |
| DNF | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +37 LAPS |
| DNF | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +46 LAPS |
| DNF | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +66 LAPS |
Who is the current F1 world champion?
Max Verstappen is the reigning F1 champion, and won his fourth drivers' championship last year.
2025 rule change removes fastest lap point
Fastest lap points have been banished from F1 for 2025. Since 2019, drivers have picked up an extra point if they finish in the top 10 and achieve the fastest lap.
However, this resulted in some drivers abandoning their races to pit and fit a set of new tyres at the end of an event in order to claim the fastest lap point, or to stop a rival from getting the extra point.
The most famous example of this last season came during Daniel Ricciardo's final F1 race, when the Australian finished last but claimed the fastest lap on the final lap of the Singapore GP, taking the extra point away from Lando Norris and helping Max Verstappen's title bid.
F1 HEADLINES: Red Bull told to 'grow up' as Norris BOOED after humiliating rivals at Mexican GP


