F1 Mexico Grand Prix 2025 Starting Grid

Originally posted on F1 on SI | By Kaitlin Tucci | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 11:40 AM ET

Lando Norris starts the Mexican Grand Prix from pole position after a lap during qualifying that blew everyone away — including Norris himself. His quest to retake the lead of the World Drivers' Championship is strongly reignited.

Norris is lucky to be starting six grid positions ahead of the current championship leader and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, as well as four ahead of Max Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc lines up second for Ferrari as the Scuderia have suddenly regained form over the past 2tworaces in the final parts of the 2025 F1 season. He will be flanked closely by his teammate Lewis Hamilton in third.

Moving on to the second row, Hamilton will start in his first Top 3 position of the season, his first with Ferrari. Hamilton (and Leclerc) have been consistent all weekend and even Norris admitted that the Ferraris have a strong race pace. Hamilton is joined by his former teammate, George Russell, in fourth position.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Max Verstappen, the sudden favorite to defy odds and win his 5th World Drivers' Championship after closing his gap to the lead to just 40 points, will start in fifth place after a slightly 'messy' qualifying session. Verstappen is joined by the Mercedes rookie, Kimi Antonelli.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri has had a nightmare weekend yet again. He could only qualify eighth, but with Carlos Sainz' 5-place grid penalty from the U.S. GP, will start in seventh. He will have to bet on gaining positions as early as possible for Norris not to overtake him in the standings.

Piastri is joined by stand-out rookie Isack Hadjar in 8th and trailed by Ollie Bearman in 9th. Yuki Tsunoda rounds out the points positions in 10th, however, he didn't even make Q3 yet again in Mexico. It is only due to Sainz's penalty that he has moved up to Row 5.

Carlos Sainz had an extremely strong qualifying in his Williams, qualifying 7th. However, with his 5-place grid penalty from his crash with Kimi Antonelli at the U.S. Grand Prix last week, he starts 12th. He is joined by Esteban Ocon in 11th, with a strong qualifying for the Haas pair.

As for the rest of the grid, the teams that struggled during qualifying were as expected. The Stake duo of Hulkenberg and Bortoleto start 13th and 16th respectively. The Aston Martin duo of Alonso and Stroll will start 14th and 19th, respectively.

Liam Lawson, as par for the course, did not have as strong a qualifying in his VCARB entry as Isack Hadjar and starts 15th. Alex Albon will start directly behind him in 17th, after struggling with his car during qualifying and complaining to the team on the radio.

The final grid positions are rounded out by the Alpine Duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto in 18th and 20th, respectively.

Check out the full starting grid as confirmed by the FIA below.