Mexico City, Mexico (AFP) — A triumphant Lando Norris may have rejected the idea that he has the momentum to win this year’s drivers’ world championship, but clearly after his win in Mexico City, he is the McLaren driver with the confidence and form to succeed. 

Norris and Oscar Piastri’s diverging fortunes since F1’s summer break saw Piastri, searching for his lost consistency, scrabbling in pursuit on his way to finishing fifth in a tense, chaotic, and sometimes wild Latin American race.

Norris shows champion qualities

By taking both a dominant pole position and then a flawless victory by 30 seconds, Norris stamped his authority on this weekend and boosted his prospects of claiming the title, even if his supremacy was hailed with unexpected boos after the race.

The Briton’s reaction, calm and good-humored, added to his new gloss as a champion in waiting. 

“That’s sport sometimes,” he said with a half-smile and a shrug. “I don’t know why. I was kind of laughing. I think it made it more entertaining for me.”

“I’d prefer it if people cheered for me, but I just concentrated on doing my own thing.”

His self-effacing style, previously seen as a weakness, has become a strength as it insulates him against the pressure as he seeks to beat Piastri and the looming figure of Red Bull’s four-time champion Max Verstappen.

He leads Piastri by one point and the Dutchman by 36 points with four races remaining.

Since the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, where he retired with an oil leak and Piastri won, Norris has finished ahead of him everywhere to claw back 35 points and the championship lead for the first time in six months.

Opening laps thrills and dangers

While the spectacle of Sunday’s race, notably in the opening and closing laps, was dramatic and exciting, it was also dangerous and unfair. 

The four-abreast charge into the opening corner at the end of an 830-metre straight produced thrills, wheel-banging, and two cars leaving the track and gaining positions that they seemingly handed back. 

More clashes followed including a long and late lunge on seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari by Max Verstappen that, in effect, ended the Briton’s podium hopes as he was given a 10-second penalty for rejoining incorrectly.

“It was pretty nuts,” said Hamilton. “I was the only one given a penalty…” He did not name them, but Leclerc and Verstappen could have been penalized, too. 

Mercedes’ George Russell also lost out in the first corner melee. “I don’t understand how three drivers can cut the first corner and then re-enter where they continued… It allows you to risk everything and have a get out of jail card if you get it wrong. I lost three positions, so I was pretty frustrated.”

More seriously, on a day when questions were asked about the stewarding, decisions, and crowd behavior, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson revealed that he narrowly avoided a fatal accident when two marshals ran across the circuit on lap three.

Verstappen needs more speed

After a blistering run of three wins in five races, Verstappen showed tenacity and his once-familiar aggression to claim third place, but admitted he needed more speed from his car to maintain any real hopes of a fifth title.