How The Mexican Grand Prix Changed The WDC Leaderboard

The situation wasn’t as great for McLaren’s second contender, Oscar Piastri. He barely made it into the last part of qualifying and then couldn’t find a lap good enough for any of the first three rows. He finished the day in P7, but even that was only because Carlos Sainz, who qualified in front of him, received a five-place grid penalty.

Max Verstappen, the third big player, disappeared during the qualifying. He wasn’t doing as well as Norris and didn’t face the problems that plagued Piastri. He qualified fifth, behind the better McLaren, the two Ferraris, and the Mercedes of George Russell.

The Shocking Start Of The Mexican Grand Prix

With so many great drivers so close to the front, the start of the race was bound to be exciting. What no one expected, however, was that we would see four cars entering turn one side by side. As soon as the lights went out, Verstappen attacked Russell and managed to get in front of him. Ahead of the old rivals, Lewis Hamilton had set his sights on Leclerc, who, in turn, put his all into attacking Norris.

All four drivers went into the first turn together. Of course, there wasn’t enough space for them to keep the cars on track. Both Leclerc and Verstappen ended up going off the road. They rejoined the group in the same positions they’d held before the incident, that is P2 and P4, respectively.

While Norris and Leclerc focused on putting some distance between themselves and the rest of the field, Verstappen began attacking Hamilton for the last podium-scoring position. As Hamilton tried to defend himself, the Ferrari driver locked up and drove onto one of the runoff areas. He rejoined the track still in front of the Red Bull, but the incident didn’t go unpunished. The Brit received a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, which, effectively, put Verstappen in a net P3.

What Happened Next

Norris dominated the Mexican Grand Prix, staying in the lead for its entirety. At the same time, his teammate battled different drivers in the midfield and slowly moved up the order. Although he did manage to gain a few positions, he was never in contention for the podium.

The same couldn’t be said about Verstappen, whose alternative tire strategy gave him an advantage in the second half of the race. While Leclerc, in front of Verstappen, was struggling on his mediums, the Red Bull drivers ate away at the difference that had built up between them, thanks to his fresher softs. Verstappen caught up to the Monegasque with about three laps to go, but never managed to overtake him. It was partially due to Leclerc’s defensive prowess and partially due to a virtual safety car brought out by Carlos Sainz’s Williams stopping by turn 16.

Changes On The Leaderboards

What impact did the Mexican Grand Prix have on the WDC leaderboards? Having won the race, Norris added 25 points to his tally. Piastri’s P5 increased his score by only ten. This put the Brit in the lead by exactly one point.

Verstappen stayed in P3. While he did manage to decrease the difference between himself and Piastri, the one between him and Norris only grew larger. The good news for all his fans is that, in the grand scheme of things, the Mexican Grand Prix did put Verstappen in a better position. Before the race, 40 points separated him from his fifth title. Now, the number is 36.

While the fight for the WDC was the one that focused everyone’s attention, given that McLaren has already won the Constructors’ trophy, the WCC leaderboard also saw a big change. After a stellar weekend, Ferrari reclaimed the P2 it had previously lost to Mercedes. In a strange coincidence, the difference between the two teams is now also just one, singular point.

End Of My Mexican Grand Prix Rant

The Mexican Grand Prix had it all. It was exciting, tense, and had a great impact on the championship. With four more races to go, the season is still far from over. Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen are all still very much in the fight. Which one of them will end up taking the trophy home?