Who slept worst last night: Lando Norris’ critics

Dear readers, I’ll admit it freely: some time ago, I had written off Lando Norris in this year’s Formula 1 title fight. Not fast enough, not consistent enough, too many mistakes. But over the past few weeks, he’s proven me – and all his doubters – wrong. Norris is back, and he’s better than ever.

And now that he’s leading the drivers’ standings again, one question remains: who can stop him?

Because Sky pundit Timo Glock is right when he calls Norris’ dominant win at the 2025 Mexico Grand Prix a “show of power.” That might even be an understatement.

To put things into perspective: Norris started dominating as early as Saturday and crossed the finish line on Sunday with the largest winning margin in more than two years. The last time someone won by more than 30 seconds was at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix – and that winner was Max Verstappen, who went on to become world champion.

Of course, I’m not basing my championship prediction on one race alone. But the bigger picture is clear.

Lando Norris, McLaren (Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images)

It’s no coincidence that Norris now leads the Formula 1 standings. In five of the past seven races, he has outperformed his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri – sometimes by a wide margin. Piastri’s last race ahead of Norris was at Zandvoort, which feels like an eternity ago in Formula 1 terms.

As my colleague Oleg Karpov wrote a few days ago, perhaps that DNF at Zandvoort triggered a kind of “now more than ever” mindset in Norris. Since then, he’s been sharper, more focused – and simply faster. Much faster than Piastri, who until recently seemed to have the upper hand.

At the same time, Piastri appears to have lost his “mojo.” The double crash in Baku, followed by a lack of pace in Austin and Mexico City, have clearly dented his confidence. We’ve never seen him look so lost. While Norris seems to extract every ounce of performance from the McLaren MCL39 with ease, Piastri can’t seem to get up to speed anymore.

And then there’s Verstappen. The Dutchman has been the centre of attention lately, after mounting an incredible comeback since Zandvoort: four wins, two second places, and a third in seven races – an impressive form swing after Red Bull’s lacklustre summer. Yet, despite that surge, Verstappen remains the outsider in the title race, especially after a tough weekend in Mexico.

That leaves Norris holding all the cards. He insists he doesn’t believe in “momentum,” but right now, he’s the living embodiment of it. Everything’s clicking. He gets in the car, and the lap times come naturally. That kind of flow changes a driver – and it makes Norris the man to beat.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing (Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images)

After the race in Mexico, he said: “One great weekend means nothing. Two, three or four in a row – that’s something else. I want to build on that, but the main thing is to stay focused.”

Will he manage that after what he called “the best weekend of the year”? All signs point to yes: his current form, Piastri’s dip, and the points cushion over Verstappen. Norris hasn’t got his hands on the trophy yet, but he’s sent a clear message – he’s back in the title fight, and that’s bad news for his critics.

Even the boos in Mexico didn’t faze him. He paused briefly when the jeers started, then simply said: “One weekend at a time. I’m happy. I focus on myself and ignore everything else. Right now, it’s working.”

Not many expected that – myself included.

So yes, maybe it’s me who didn’t sleep too soundly last night. But if that means we’re heading for a thrilling finish to this Formula 1 championship, then I’ll happily admit I was wrong.