Max Verstappen finished third at the Mexican Grand Prix, losing ground in the Formula 1 title fight. The Dutch driver openly admitted the challenges facing Red Bull and warned his team that only perfection will be enough to win. “If we want to win, everything needs to be perfect,” he said after the race. Those words now serve as a reminder to his own crew: if Red Bull delivers another performance like this in the final four rounds of the season, Verstappen’s difficult comeback could effectively come to an end.
Considering how the weekend began on Friday, third place – which could have easily been second without the Virtual Safety Car – is not a disappointing result, especially compared to Oscar Piastri’s outcome. Moreover, after a tough opening stint on medium tyres, Max Verstappen did not expect to fight for a podium at all. His recovery and the chase toward Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari for second place showed that Red Bull had made visible progress, even if not enough to match McLaren’s strength.
In clean air, Lando Norris – the new leader of the Drivers’ Championship – built up a gap of nearly 30 seconds over the car behind him. This performance should serve as a clear warning to the engineers at Milton Keynes. The next round in São Paulo, however, could favor Verstappen and the RB21, particularly if McLaren’s internal rivalry intensifies, with Norris and Piastri now separated by just one point.
Mexican GP 2025: Verstappen’s words after the race
“I didn’t expect to reach the podium,” Verstappen admitted. “The first stint was tough. We were simply slow and struggled with the tyres. Once we switched from mediums to hards, things improved and we became more competitive. Obviously, we weren’t on Lando’s level throughout the race, but the soft tyres were by far the best compound. So I think third place is a satisfying result.”
He added: “I gained time on the leader, but I lost 10 points to Lando when you look at it that way. Before the weekend I said everything had to be executed perfectly if we wanted to win, and this weekend wasn’t excellent. I think the championship will be difficult, but we’ll see what we can do at the upcoming tracks. Hopefully, we won’t have another weekend like this. Unfortunately, it shows we’re not fast everywhere.”
The high temperatures at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez created problems for most of the grid, forcing drivers to rely on lift-and-coast techniques to manage heat. All cars, that is, except the McLaren MCL39. Following team instructions, Lando Norris was able to adjust his pace multiple times during the race without major concerns about tyre temperatures, proving once again McLaren’s efficiency and stability in challenging conditions.
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