Norris Keeping 'Calm', Piastri Rues 'Different' Couple Of Weeks As Race Amps Up

Last Updated:October 27, 2025, 13:15 IST

Drivers' Championship leader Lando Norris is trying to keep calm, even as teammate Oscar Piastri rues not adjusting quicker to the car's changing needs in final stretch.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren (X)

Lando Norris stated his intention to maintain a relaxed and self-focused approach after gaining a one-point lead in the Formula One drivers’ world championship by winning Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

As McLaren team-mate and main title contender Oscar Piastri battled to secure fifth place, Norris cruised to a dominant 30-second victory ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who managed to fend off a late surge by Red Bull’s four-time champion Max Verstappen, thanks to a late Virtual Safety Car intervention.

This was Norris’s first win in Mexico and his 10th career victory, propelling him to 357 points in the title race, ahead of Piastri on 356, marking his first stint at the top since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in April.

With four events left, Norris has gained momentum and is now 36 points ahead of the in-form Verstappen, who has secured six consecutive podium finishes, reducing Piastri’s 104-point lead from the end of August.

“It’s one weekend at a time for me," said Norris, whose competitive mentality and composure have been questioned this season. “I’m happy and I’m focussed on myself. I’m just keeping my head down and I keep to myself. It’s working for me at the minute so I’m happy… But, what a race. I could just keep my eyes forward and focus on what I was doing."

Remaining calm amidst the vibrant atmosphere at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, he added, “It was pretty straightforward, which is just what I wanted. A good start, a good launch and a good first lap… And then, I could go from there. I just stay relaxed and it helps. It helped me get a good start and it’s the best thing. For me, this is awesome and I love it, my first win in Mexico and what a beautiful one to win here in this stadium."

‘Trying to learn’

Piastri, who had a challenging weekend but delivered a spirited race, acknowledged that he needed to alter his driving style after observing how Norris has adapted in recent races.

“Today, there was a lot of fight. The whole race I was right behind someone and struggling with dirty air, so that was pretty difficult," Piastri said. “For me, the biggest thing is trying to learn the things I want to learn. Yesterday, it became obvious after the session that there were a few things I had to change pretty majorly in the way I was driving. Today was about first trying to implement that. If I’ve made some progress with that I will be happy, but obviously, when your team-mate wins the race, finishing fifth is not that extravagant."

“I think I’ve had to drive very differently in the last couple of weeks. It has been a bit to get my head around. I’ve been driving the same all year, but the last couple of weeks the car and tyres required a different way of driving. I’ve not really gone to that. I tried a few things today. It is nothing to do with the car. Given how the pace had differentiated in the last couple of races — Lando has found it easier to dial into that and I haven’t. It’s about adding tools to the toolbox rather than reinventing myself."

(With AFP Inputs)

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