Championship showdown: What’s at stake at the 2025 Mexico GP

For the petrolheads out there, the 2025 Mexico Grand Prix offers more than just a picturesque backdrop at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. 

With five races remaining in the F1 season, the title battle could pivot dramatically depending on Sunday’s outcome. Lando Norris holds pole position and sits 14 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, while Max Verstappen, third on the championship table, starts fifth on the grid.

Norris’ front-row start gives him a golden opportunity to reclaim the championship lead lost back in Saudi Arabia. With Piastri starting from seventh, the McLaren driver can leapfrog the Australian if he defends his position and fends off the two Ferraris ahead. The McLaren driver will need to keep especially Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in check, with both showing strong pace throughout the weekend.

Verstappen, who qualified fifth, admitted he is struggling for confidence ahead of the race, saying, “I’m not really expecting to be in a battle ahead of me – they’re miles faster.” The Red Bull driver has found the final sector particularly tricky, leaving him off the pace and needing to claw back positions if he wants to maintain his championship momentum.

Piastri, meanwhile, has faced similar difficulties this weekend, struggling to find speed despite extra practice compared to Norris and Verstappen. Last year, the Australian made a remarkable recovery from 17th to eighth in Mexico, offering some encouragement as he prepares to tackle the weekend’s challenges.

Ferrari and Mercedes in contention

The race is set to be tightly contested at the front, with Ferrari and Mercedes poised to capitalise. Leclerc and Hamilton qualified second and third, with Hamilton calling it “the first time we've both been up in the top three in qualifying this year” and crediting the team for continuing to push and not giving up.

Ferrari’s engine, suited to the thinner air at high altitude, could give Leclerc and Hamilton – as well as fellow Ferrari-powered Haas and Sauber cars – an advantage. Lower down the grid. 

Sainz, despite a five-place grid penalty dropping him to 12th, has been rapid all weekend and will aim for aggressive overtakes to recover lost positions.

Hamilton, starting ahead of George Russell in fourth, will have a rare chance to seize the slipstream down Mexico’s famously long run to Turn 1. That straight, stretching 830 metres from the start, could set the tone for a dramatic opening lap and influence the championship battle, with drivers able to use the slipstream of the frontrunner to their advantage.

Title scenarios and opening-lap stakes

With Norris, Verstappen and Piastri separated by just a handful of points, every position gained or lost will be pivotal. Verstappen must make up ground from fifth, Piastri needs to claw back from seventh, and Norris’ defence of pole could see him leapfrog the championship leader. Sainz and Hamilton also have the chance to disrupt the front-runners and secure valuable podium points.

The race promises tension, high-speed duels, and crucial strategic calls as the F1 championship faces its first potential turning point since the US GP. 

Any slip could redefine the title race before the season heads into its final stages.