Norris dominates in Mexico to take championship lead

McLaren's Lando Norris took the championship lead for the first time since April with a dominant victory in the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Norris was serenely out of reach of some compelling battles and incident behind him as he kept the lead from pole position into the first corner and controlled the race from there.

Norris leads the championship by just one point from team-mate Oscar Piastri, who fought back from seventh on the grid to finish fifth.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished third just behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, is 36 points off the lead with four races to go.

A virtual safety car in the final two laps robbed the race of a grandstand finish, with Verstappen right behind Leclerc and Piastri chasing the Haas of Oliver Bearman, as it prevented overtaking just as both were moving into position to challenge.

Bearman's fourth place, though, was just reward for an outstanding drive from British rookie Bearman.

The key stories of a dramatic race were:

Norris' concern before the race was that starting from pole with nearly 800m to run to the first corner, he would be vulnerable to either Ferrari driver, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton starting second and third.

But Norris judged the run down to Turn One to perfection as Leclerc and Hamilton also had to worry about an attack from Verstappen on the outside.

Norris held the lead as chaos broke out behind him and soon started to edge away.

He was never remotely under threat and ended up winning by 30 seconds.

It capped a strong run of races since he retired with a fuel-line failure from the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.

Piastri won that race and left the Netherlands 34 points in the lead - an advantage Norris has wiped out in five races.

Verstappen went for the outside into the first corner but going three-wide with the Ferraris he was on the kerb and could not stop, running over the grass before rejoining the race at Turn Three, having passed Mercedes' George Russell for fourth place.

Russell complained about that but the stewards took no action, and it was not long before Verstappen was in the action again.

He had started on the medium tyres while all the other top runners were on the softs, and he soon began to take on Hamilton for third place.

He challenged Hamilton into Turn One on lap six, forcing the seven-time champion wide, but then cut the corner at Turn Three.

Hamilton came back at him on the run to Turn Four, but Verstappen, on the inside, braked late and Hamilton ran off the track, himself cutting the corner at Turn Five.

That move earned Hamilton a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, while Verstappen was delayed and passed by Bearman.

The Red Bull driver was unable to challenge the Briton for the remainder of the first stint but on his inverted strategy he came on strong in the second stint.

Verstappen rejoined in eighth place after his pit stop, passed Hamilton, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, Piastri, and Bearman when they pitted for a second time, and set off after Leclerc.

Twelve seconds behind with 22 laps to go and closing at nearly a second a lap initially, Verstappen looked a strong bet for second place.

But just as he got into range of Leclerc to enable him to use the DRS overtaking aid, the virtual safety car was called to recover the Williams of Carlos Sainz with two laps to go, and Verstappen's chance of passing the Ferrari was gone.

More to follow.