Key Highlights
- The 2025 Mexican Grand Prix is set to be a crucial round in the battle for the Formula 1 drivers’ championship.
- Oscar Piastri currently leads the standings by just 14 points over Lando Norris, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen trailing closely at 40 points behind.
- Qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 10 PM BST on Saturday, October 25, 2025.
- Lewis Hamilton has warned McLaren’s title rivals about Max Verstappen’s aggressive approach in recent races.
The Battle for the Championship
Round 20 of the Formula 1 2025 season, taking place at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City from October 24 to 26, is set to be a defining moment for the title race. The battle for supremacy between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, both of whom are competing for their first world championship with McLaren, has been narrowed by recent performances, especially after Piastri’s collision with Norris in Austin last week.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who has been chasing his fifth consecutive title, currently finds himself 40 points behind the Australian. This race could significantly impact their standings going into the final four rounds of the season.
Key Player Analysis
Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s driver, holds a narrow lead in the championship with just 14 points over his teammate Lando Norris. However, this margin is shrinking as Verstappen, who has been performing consistently well after a difficult start to the season, closes in on Piastri. The Australian’s 346 points are threatened by Verstappen’s 306 points.
Kieran Jackson, Formula 1 correspondent for The Independent, notes that the pressure is high and that consistency will be key for any driver aiming to win this year’s championship. “The battle for the F1 drivers’ title is heating up,” he writes, adding, “With just five races to go, it’s now a three-horse race.”
During an interview with Sky Sports, Lewis Hamilton warned McLaren’s title rivals about Verstappen, describing him as “cut-throat” and urging the team to adopt similar tactics. “They have got to be pushing and you have to dig deep firstly to be able to hold off someone like Max in the car that he is in at the moment,” Hamilton stated.
Qualifying Schedule
The qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix, a crucial phase of any Formula 1 race weekend, is set to begin on Saturday, October 25, at 10 PM BST. This timing will determine which drivers secure pole position and where they start the main race on Sunday evening.
As of Free Practice 2 (FP2), Max Verstappen was quickest, with Leclerc in second place and Antonelli third. The exact order will be determined during qualifying, potentially impacting their starting positions and strategies for the upcoming races in Brazil and Las Vegas.
Expert Perspectives
Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 F1 world champion, expressed his concerns about McLaren’s “papaya rules,” which have been at the center of controversy following a collision between Piastri and Norris during a recent sprint race. According to Villeneuve, these racing guidelines are too lenient and do not provide enough pressure for drivers to perform at their best.
McLaren team boss Laurent Mekies discussed the team’s strategy leading into the Mexican Grand Prix, acknowledging that they have left Arvid on a low-fuel run in FP1 but noted that their pace was still strong. Verstappen’s team is also working on several upgrades to close the gap and secure a better performance.
The upcoming races in Brazil and Las Vegas will be critical for determining the championship’s outcome, with Abu Dhabi set as the final round on December 5, 2025. The Mexican Grand Prix serves as a pivotal moment where any errors or strong performances could swing the title race significantly in one direction or another.
