Race Notes - Norris wins Mexican GP

By Mark Karp

Lando Norris, after starting on pole, won the Mexican Grand Prix in his McLaren-Mercedes,

With the Virtual Safety car out for the final two laps, Charles Leclerc took second place in his Ferrari, 30.324 seconds behind the winner.

Max Verstappen, in his Red Bull-Honda was third, 31.049 seconds behind.

With his sixth win of the season (McLaren's 13th, and Norris’s 10th career win), and with Oscar Piastri’s fifth place finish, Norris now jumps back into a one point lead of the Drivers’ Championship, Verstappen 36 points behind.

Oliver Bearman (40.955s) scored his best career finish in the Haas-Ferrari in fourth place, followed by Piastri (42.065s) in the second McLaren-Mercedes in fifth, Kimi Antonelli (47.837s) in the Mercedes GP in sixth place, his team mate George Russell (50.287s) in seventh place, Lewis Hamilton (56.446s) in the second Ferrari in eighth place, Esteban Ocon (1m15.464s) in the second Haas in ninth place, and Gabriel Bortoleto (1m16.863s) in the Sauber-Ferrari taking the final point in tenth place.

Before the start Norris sat on pole with Leclerc alongside on the front row, Hamilton and Russell on row 2, Verstappen and Antonelli on row 3, Piastri and Isack Hadjar on row 4, and Bearman and Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top ten, Carlos Sainz, with a five grid spot penalty will start 12th.

Most drivers are expected to make one pit stop, soft to medium, or medium to soft - it is unlikely the hard will be used.

Most of the top ten using soft tyres, except got Verstappen, Hadjar, Tsunoda, Sainz, Bortoleto and Pierre Gasly on mediums, Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto on hard tyres.

At the appointed time the field came around on the formation lap, lined up on the grid, the lights went off and the race began with Norris goes into the first corner, Leclerc passes him, but cuts the corner and gives the place back. Verstappen dives down the outside of the corner and goes wide at the first corner. Lance Stroll spins.

Piastri drops to 11th and fights back to ninth in the first lap.

Liam Lawson pits for a new front nose.

On lap 3 Norris leads Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Russell, Bearman, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Piastri, and Ocon in tenth.

Norris sets fast lap at 1m22.450s.

On lap 6 Verstappen passes Hamilton for third, Verstappen jumping off the curb touching Hamilton and then runs wide, maybe sustaining damage.

Hamilton comes back and Hamilton goes wide through the runoff.

Lawson retires.

At lap 10 Norris leads Leclerc by 2.5 seconds, followed by Hamilton (7.9s), Bearman (10.7s), Verstappen (12.2s), Antonelli (13.4s), Russell (14.2s), Tsunoda (17.4s), Piastri (18.3s) and Ocon (18.8s) in tenth.

On lap 11 Piastri passes Tsunoda for eighth.

Multiple drivers are under investigation for the first few laps.

On lap 13 Verstappen is on the radio complaining about a lack of grip.

Norris sets fast lap at 1m22.217s, and again the next lap at 1m22.136s.

On lap 15 Norris sets fast lap at 1m22.076s.

Hamilton is given a 10-second penalty for gaining an advantage.

On lap 18 Sainz pits for soft tyres and rejoins last in 19th.

On lap 19 Piastri is closing on Russell in seventh.

At lap 20 Norris leads Leclerc by 8.7 seconds, followed by Hamilton (15.9s), Bearman (19.8s), Verstappen (22.0s), Antonelli (23.5s), Russell (25.3s), Piastri (26.1s), Tsunoda (33.6s), and Ocon (34.9s) in tenth.

On lap 23 Antonelli pits for medium tyres.

The next lap Hamilton pits for medium tyres, serves his ten second penalty and rejoins 14th.

On lap 25 Piastri pits for medium tyres and rejoins 13th. Bearman pits from third for medium tyres and rejoins ninth.

On lap 26 Russell pits for medium tyres and rejoins 11th.

On lap 27 Stroll pits for medium tyres and rejoins 18th.

Sainz is given a 5-second penalty for speeding in the pits.

Nico Hulkenberg pits and retires.

On lap 28 Ocon pits for mediums and rejoins14th,

Russell sets fast lap at 1m21.342s.

On lap 31 Leclerc pits from second for medium tyres and rejoins third.

On lap 35 Norris pits from the lead for medium tyres and he rejoins still in the lead.

Hamilton passes Tsunoda for eighth.

Tsunoda pits.

At lap 35, at half distance, Norris leads Verstappen by 8.9 seconds followed by Leclerc (16.3s), Bearman (18.8s), Antonelli (20.5s), Russell (21.4s), Piastri (21.3s), Hamilton (26.2s), Sainz (36.1s), and Bortoleto (38.2s) in tenth.

On lap 37 Verstappen pits from second for soft tyres and rejoins eighth behind Hamilton.

Norris sets fast lap at 1m20.864s.

On lap 40 a line of cars, Bearman, Antonelli, Russell and Piastri battling for the final podium position.

Russell forcefully complains to the team that Antonelli needs to let him past, as Piastri is right behind the two Mercedes GP’s.

On lap 41 Russell is let through to fourth place.

Verstappen has closed to 3 seconds behind Hamilton.

At lap 45 Norris leads Leclerc by 20.3 seconds, followed by Bearman (26.9s), Russell (29.4s), Antonelli (30.5s), Piastri (31.1s), Hamilton (34.3s), Verstappen (35.4s), Sainz (46.9s), and Ocon (52.4s) in tenth place.

On lap 47 Verstappen passes Hamilton for seventh place.

On lap 48 Antonelli, Piastri and Hamilton all make pitstops for soft tyres, the rejoin Piastri seventh, Antonelli eighth, and Hamilton ninth.

Bearman and Russell both pit the next lap for soft tyres and Bearman and Russell come out fourth and fifth.

Ocon on old tyres falls back to ninth.

Russell sets fast lap at 1m20.052s.

On the radio Ferrari tells Leclerc that they intend to stay out to the finish.

At lap 55 Norris leads Leclerc by 25.3 seconds, followed by Verstappen (35.2s), Bearman (49.9s), Russell (50.7s), Piastri (53.1s), Antonelli (56.0s), Hamilton (57.5s), Ocon (1m06.5s), and Hadjar (1m09.2s) in tenth.

With 15 laps left the Norris and Leclerc running on medium’s ahead of the third though ninth of soft tyred cars, and wondering if they can make the finish on tyre wear.

Piastri, half a second behind Russell is looking for a way past for fitth place.

On lap 58 Sainz pits for a drive-through penalty.

At lap 60 Verstappen in third place is chasing Leclerc, 5.4 seconds behind.

Piastri passes Russell for fifth, gaining a further 2 points, and trails Bearman by 3.1 seconds.

Antonelli reminds the team that Russell said if he switched positions and did not make ground, that he would switch again.

On lap 63 Russell gives sixth back to Antonelli.

Bortoleto passes Hajar for tenth.

At lap 64 Tsunoda passes Hadjar for 11th.

At lap 65 Norris leads Leclerc by 28.4 seconds, followed by Verstappen (31.3s), Bearman (43.9s), Piastri (45.5s), Antonelli (50.3s), Russell (51.4s), Hamilton (56.5s), Ocon (1m12.7s), and Bortoleto (1m15.9s) in tenth.

On lap 67 of 71, Bearman is 1.2 seconds ahead Piastri.

On lap 68 Verstappen closes to under a second behind Leclerc and Piastri closes to 0.5 seconds behind Bearman.

On lap 70 Verstappen is right on the tail of Leclerc.

The Virtual safety car is deployed with Sainz parked on the side of the stadium section.

Into the final lap the virtual safety car remains, and Norris closes the finish line with the win over Leclerc and Verstappen.