Oscar Piastri faces a massive task to avoid losing the F1 world championship lead in Monday morning’s Mexico Grand Prix. Live from 7am AEDT!

Lando Norris beamed with pleasure after turbocharging his bid for thecrown by grabbing pole position on Sunday while rivals struggled in his wake.

The 25-year-old Briton, who is 14 points behind his McLaren teammate Piastri and 26 ahead of third-placed four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, powered to a stunning fastest lap in one minute and 15.586 seconds. Piastri qualified eighth.

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It carried him 0.262 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who was three-tenths adrift. Mercedes George Russell was fourth and Verstappen fifth while Piastri struggled to qualify eighth.

If all drivers finish where they start, Norris will take the world title lead from Piastri.

“I’m here to win and I am looking forward to it,” said Norris, who showed a mental edge and performance to give him confidence after several weeks of pressure.

“I know I have some very quick guys behind me and it’s a long run to Turn One, but I’m focused.

“I’ve not been sleeping well lately so that’s maybe the key to everything. I’ve had good races here in the past so I’m just focusing on what I can control and that’s all I can do.”

Norris drove with a freedom that was in contrast to the pressurised Piastri, who was unable to match his teammate’s pace at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – OCTOBER 25: Eighth placed qualifier Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren is interviewed during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 25, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

It is his first pole in Mexico, his fifth of the season and the 14th of his career, as well as his first since the Belgian Grand Prix in July. For McLaren, it is a first Mexico pole since Gerhard Berger in 1990.

Looking ahead to the race, Norris added: “The race pace from the Ferraris is usually very strong so I’m expecting a battle and I’m not expecting it to be easy.

“Eyes forward. And I will see how much I can win by.”

His teammate Piastri, who had a 39-point lead at the end of August, was downcast.

“I will try my best,” he said. “It is an opportunity to make some progress forwards.

“Everything feels OK, but there’s just no pace, which is a bit of a mystery. It has been more or less the same gap all weekend.

“We’ll have a look at where I was going wrong and I would say it’s all a bit frustrating. This week and last weekend the car has felt like the pace hasn’t come. I’m not 100% sure why and we need to do some digging.”

MEXICO GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID

1 Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 2 Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)

3 Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari) 4 George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)

5 Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 6 Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes)

7 Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes) 8 Isack Hadjar (FRA/Racing Bulls)

9 Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas) 10 Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/Red Bull)

11 Estéban Ocon (FRA/Haas) 12 Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Williams)

13 Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Sauber) 14 Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin)

15 Liam Lawson (NZL/Racing Bulls) 16 Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Sauber)

17 Alexander Albon (THA/Williams) 18 Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine)

19 Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) 20 Franco Colapinto (ARG/Alpine)