The 2025 Formula 1 World Championship has been violently thrown wide open. In what can only be described as one of the most dramatic and incident-filled races of the past decade, Lando Norris produced an unstoppable, “perfect 10” performance to conquer the Mexico City Grand Prix. His 30-second victory didn’t just earn him the top step of the podium; it catapulted him into the lead of the Drivers’ Championship for the first time, establishing a razor-thin one-point advantage.

But the celebrations were set against a backdrop of sheer terror and high-stakes controversy. The race featured a “near-fatal” incident where marshals ran onto a live track, a late-virtual safety car that “robbed” fans of a blockbuster finish, and a frustrated Lewis Hamilton baffled by penalties. The title fight is no longer a simmering battle; it is an outright three-way war.

This is the first time since April that a new name sits atop the standings. Oscar Piastri, Norris’s McLaren teammate and the man who has held the lead since Saudi Arabia, has seen his momentum collapse. Coming out of the Dutch Grand Prix, Piastri held a commanding 34-point lead over Norris. Now, after a grueling weekend where he could only recover to fifth, he finds himself one point adrift, struggling with a car he admits feels “strange.”

The pressure is visibly mounting on the young Australian. While 116 points are still on the table with four races and two sprints remaining, the psychological advantage has decisively shifted. Piastri, for the first time this season, has serious work to do to reclaim his champion-elect status. He has lost his form, and in Formula 1, momentum is everything.

That momentum now belongs entirely to Lando Norris. From the moment he stepped into the car in Practice 2, he looked untouchable. His weekend was a masterclass in execution: a brilliant qualifying session followed by a race where, after seizing the lead at turn one, he simply vanished. He was, as McLaren Team Principal Andreas Stella noted, a driver with an immense “strength of confidence.” This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement.

While the two McLaren drivers battle for supremacy, the ever-present threat of Max Verstappen looms larger than ever. Starting in fifth, Verstappen’s race was a chaotic mix of brilliance and adversity. He was forced onto the grass at the first corner, battled Lewis Hamilton wheel-to-wheel, and struggled on his initial set of medium tires.

Then, his Red Bull team switched him to the soft tires for the final stint, and the RB21 “just came alive.” Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, called the stint “insane.” Red Bull Team Principal Paul Monaghan described it as “unbelievable.” The reigning champion tore through the field, reducing his championship deficit from 40 points to just 36. He may be third in the standings, but his performance was a terrifying reminder that he is still firmly in this fight.

The race’s climax, however, was stolen by a controversial but necessary Virtual Safety Car (VSC). Verstappen, on his charge, was rapidly catching Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for second place. Behind them, Oscar Piastri was hunting down the Haas of Oliver Bearman for fourth. The stage was set for a breathless final-lap shootout.

Then, Carlos Sainz’s Williams spun into the runoff area at the stadium complex. The car came to a halt in an “exposed position” and began to smoke, with notifications of a fire reaching race control. As per standard procedure, with marshals required to recover the vehicle, the VSC was deployed. While the FIA’s decision was “completely valid” and correct for safety, it neutralized the race on lap 71. The battles were over. Verstappen and Piastri were denied their final attack. Fans were, justifiably, “robbed” of a grandstand finish.

The VSC drama was secondary, however, to a truly horrifying incident that occurred on just the third lap. Liam Lawson, having pitted early for front wing damage, was exiting the pits at the back of the field. As he rocketed into turn one, he was met with double waved yellow flags. His onboard camera captured a heart-stopping moment: not one, but two marshals were running across the circuit directly in his path.

Lawson, clearly in a panic, slammed on his brakes and got on the radio, his voice shaking. “I could have killed him,” he exclaimed. It was a terrifyingly close call, a moment that sent a chill down the spine of the entire paddock.

The FIA later released a statement explaining the incident was a severe communication breakdown. Marshals had been placed on standby to recover debris from an earlier incident, but once it was clear Lawson had pitted and was rejoining the track, the instruction to deploy was rescinded. For reasons now under an intense investigation, two marshals in that sector “clearly didn’t get that particular message” and entered the track. It was a near-disaster that highlights the ever-present dangers of motorsport and the critical importance of procedural perfection.

Amidst the top-tier drama, other drivers faced their own battles. Oliver Bearman delivered a career-best performance, finishing fourth for the Haas team. At one point, he was running in a podium position, and the team believed they had the pace to hold it. The VSC ultimately solidified their position, but the result equals Haas’s best-ever finish in Formula 1—a monumental achievement for the rookie driver.

Conversely, Lewis Hamilton’s day was one of pure frustration. He finished eighth after being handed a 10-second time penalty for leaving the circuit and gaining an advantage while battling Max Verstappen. While the penalty itself was a “slam dunk,” Hamilton was left “bemused and baffled.” He pointed out that numerous other drivers, including Verstappen and Leclerc, had gone off-track in the opening corners without investigation. His wait for a first podium with Ferrari continues, and the inconsistency left a bitter taste.

As the F1 circus packs up in Mexico City, the sport is left breathless. We have a new championship leader in Lando Norris, a wounded former leader in Oscar Piastri, and a relentless champion in Max Verstappen who is clawing his way back. With the championship separated by the slimmest of margins and the next race in Brazil—a sprint event where Verstappen dominated last year—the title fight has been set alight. The only guarantee is that the final four races of this season will be unmissable.