Formula 1: Lando Norris takes the lead in the World Championship with victory in Mexico

The new Formula 1 World Championship leader couldn't understand a word in the deafeningly loud baseball stadium at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. "But I love it," said Lando Norris after his triumph: "What a race!"

But what a title fight it was! In the thin mountain air of Mexico City, the situation escalated dramatically. With a daring tire strategy, defending champion Max Verstappen secured third place behind McLaren driver Norris and Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari.

Second place even seemed possible for Verstappen, but a virtual safety car phase prevented a final attack. "Sometimes the safety car helps you, sometimes it works against you," said the 28-year-old Dutchman from Red Bull, but he was pleased with a strong result. Norris's dethroned teammate Oscar Piastri could only manage fifth place, finishing behind surprise fourth-place finisher Oliver Bearman in the Haas.

With four Grands Prix left in the season, Norris has 357 points, Piastri 356, and Verstappen 321. The race continues in two weeks in Brazil, followed by races in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. For the only German driver, Nico Hülkenberg in the Sauber, the race ended prematurely due to a defect.

Norris had clinched pole position the day before with nerves of steel and commanding style. Verstappen couldn't match that, and Piastri certainly couldn't, whose sporting crisis continued. A week ago, the crash in Austin, for which he accepted partial responsibility, occurred. In return, Norris was again absolved by the team bosses of the unknown consequences of the incident in Singapore: a fresh start in the team duel.

And it was an opportunity for Norris to show whether he could keep his nerve in the decisive phase of the World Championship and whether he had what it takes to win the title. Even if Piastri was a long way off starting seventh, behind Norris were record champion Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari and Verstappen, who had a combined eleven world championship titles, in third and fifth place. Leclerc had finished second in qualifying.

Because of the longest approach to turn one on the race calendar, third position on the track is considered particularly promising due to the slipstream. And the more than 100,000 fans were treated to a spectacular first lap.

Norris got off to a great start and defended first place quite confidently. Behind him, the field became tight, rough, and dusty. Hamilton closed in on Leclerc, and the two were on the same track. And then Verstappen also moved alongside him. Three abreast – Verstappen had to drive the left side of his car through the grass to avoid a collision.

"I was squashed like crazy," Verstappen complained over the radio. He had to take a shortcut through the subsequent chicane, ultimately rejoining the grid in fourth place – which enraged George Russell in the Mercedes. The Briton, who often engages in verbal sparring with Verstappen, immediately demanded a penalty. Verstappen, however, did not receive one.

However, a few laps later, he was overtaken by Oliver Bearman in the Haas. After the second practice session, in which Verstappen finished with the fastest time of the day, he had already expressed concerns about his performance over longer distances. The race then turned into a somewhat agonizing, hard slog for Verstappen, while Norris dominated the race at the front.

Leclerc was well behind in second, followed by Hamilton. However, the seven-time champion had to serve a ten-second penalty while changing tires. Race control penalized a maneuver against Verstappen when Hamilton took a shortcut. Hamilton, who had had the best chance of securing his first podium finish in a Ferrari, rejoined the grid in 14th place.

Norris's tenth career victory was never in jeopardy. The question was: How many points will he gain on Piastri? The Australian had last won at Zandvoort, his seventh victory of the season. He had 34 points more than Norris and 104 more than Verstappen. Since then, the 24-year-old has been faltering.

At an altitude of over 2,200 meters, he was once again panting behind for a long time. He could lose a maximum of 14 points, but thanks to one more win this season, he would retain the lead with a tie.

When Verstappen returned to the track after his tire change, he initially fell behind Piastri as well: eighth place for the Dutchman, who had won five of the nine races in Mexico City since returning in 2015. Had Norris not had to keep his hands on the wheel, he could have rubbed them together with relish.

However, Verstappen demonstrated tactically and drivingly why he is considered one of the best in Formula 1 history. In a race that was difficult from the start and with a car that wasn't fast enough, he still managed to finish on the podium on the softest tires. A virtual safety car period on the penultimate lap prevented an attack on Leclerc, thus preventing him from taking second place. "My tires were completely gone, then I saw Max from behind on the soft tires," said Leclerc. "The safety car saved me."

RND/dpa