Formula 1: Norris grabs the lead in Mexico by one point, Leclerc second

Leclerc rejoices the most, proportionally: for him it is the second best result of the year, his seventh podium finish of 2025. And he can also sleep peacefully for the rare occasion of having held his own against Verstappen, who has a devil for hair in not having passed him also because, without the safety car, he would undoubtedly have overtaken him: the Monegasque himself, at the paddock microphones with the engines switched off, candidly admitted that he was helped by that episode because his tyres were absolutely at the end. Hamilton, on the other hand, can only find himself deeply disappointed because he was riding high in second place and relegation was taken away from him ex officio, perhaps undeservedly: among other things, in this way he lengthens the row of races without a podium, reaching the worrying quota of twenty.

In the Grand Prix of Mexico City it was confirmed how far from predictable the season finale is. Lando Norris, who started from pole, held the lead in the first laps ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton, but behind him chaos immediately erupted.

At the start, Max Verstappen tried to squeeze onto the grass on the left to gain space: an aggressive manoeuvre that triggered contact with Hamilton. And anyway, a 'fourth man' in a corner like that is hardly seen in karts: the reigning champion really dared too much.

About ten minutes later, in a real head-to-head between the two maxi champions on the grid, this time alone, the Englishman, in an attempt to avoid the Dutchman following a very aggressive attack, ended up outside in turn, re-entering the track in front of his rival. Hence the decision of the commissioners: a ten-second penalty for 'leaving the track taking advantage'. A penalty that caused some discussion, especially because in similar situations - including two excursions by Verstappen in the first few laps - no warning was issued. It must be said that these things happen because you can get back into the race quickly, whereas years ago those who went out were out, retired, out!

However, neither kerbs, nor escape spaces, nor grass, nor gravel have ever made all drivers and teams happy and, in any case, each category has its own requirements: formulae, gt, motorbikes, have different priorities between safety and conservation. And it is always difficult to make choices that suit everyone.

Hamilton, forced to take his penalty during the pit stop, lost his rhythm, while Verstappen was able to climb back into the podium area. The difference in treatment has reignited the debate on the consistency of FIA decisions: the line between "advantage gained" and simple trajectory error remains a fine and often arbitrary boundary.

For McLaren, the race offered a double picture. Norris, showed exceptional pace and impeccable management of tyre consumption, even in the face of a lower top speed than the Red Bulls and Mercedes. Piastri, on the other hand, experienced a much more complicated weekend: having started seventh after an opaque qualifying, he was sucked into traffic in the early stages, even being overtaken by Antonelli and Tsunoda.

Il pilota australiano non è riuscito a trovare il ritmo da primo della classe, nonostante la vettura gemella di Norris sembrasse perfettamente bilanciata. Le indiscrezioni sui presunti aggiornamenti al fondo piatto, che avrebbero potuto penalizzarlo, non hanno trovato conferma ufficiale: a Woking parlano piuttosto di una differenza di setup e di gestione gomme che ha amplificato il divario tra i due compagni di squadra. La sensazione è che McLaren abbia ormai due filosofie interne di approccio alla gara: Norris, preciso e pulito, sfrutta ogni metro del tracciato; Piastri, più istintivo e aggressivo, paga caro ogni sbavatura. L’arrivo dietro a Bearman gli costa uno smacco e un punto dietro al suo compagno di squadra, senza alcun possibile favoritismo nelle prossime gare. In McLaren non esistono favoriti e, anzi, lui non è nemmeno della stessa bandiera della squadra. Se vorrà tornare in cima, dovrà darsi una grande svegliata!

Charles Leclerc got off to a promising start, managing to pass Norris on the first lap, but then giving the position back. From there on, Ferrari maintained a good pace, but without ever having the speed to really attack the McLaren. Mind you, it's the second best result of 2025 after a similar second place in 'his' Monaco, but it's once again a missed opportunity to bring Ferrari back to victory, which it has been missing, again by its own hand, since the 2024 US GP.

Il “miracolo Bearman” in Messico nasce da una combinazione perfetta di lucidità, strategia e caos altrui. Partito a centro gruppo, il giovane inglese della Haas ha evitato i contatti al via, ha gestito con freddezza le prime fasi convulse e ha prolungato il primo stint più dei rivali diretti, sfruttando una finestra di pit stop favorevole che lo ha catapultato nelle prime posizioni. Mentre davanti penalità, errori e degrado gomme condizionavano Hamilton, Leclerc e le Red Bull, Bearman ha mantenuto un passo costante e pulito, senza sbavature. L’aggiornamento tecnico della Haas — efficace sul dritto e stabile nei tratti lenti — ha fatto il resto. Così, giro dopo giro, il rookie si è ritrovato incredibilmente a battagliare con le top car: una prestazione da veterano, costruita più con intelligenza e gestione che con velocità pura. Il ventenne che aveva debuttato a Jeddah nientemeno che sulla Ferrari ufficiale di Sainz Jr, operato d’urgenza in una clinica saudita, e i suoi primi punti mondiali