Lando Norris may have shined at the end of the Mexico City Grand Prix, but the British driver’s patience and temperament will be tested by his world championship rival Max Verstappen in a title fight in which the defending champion appears to be just getting started feel the pressure.

As Verstappen once again pushed the limits of what is acceptable on track, this time Norris edged ahead of the Dutchman, but it was Carlos Sainz who took an impressive win for Ferrari at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Yet the Scuderia found itself in the shadows in a remarkable race as Verstappen himself suffered a double setback and a significant negative impact. His repeated uncompromising riding against Norris was deemed unacceptable and proved costly to his title claim.

After their heated and controversial clash in the final round in Austin, the two were once again the center of attention. Norris took second place for McLaren, Verstappen sixth. The result is crucial for Norris as he looks to catch up with the world champion and put the title fight on the line. With a lead of ten points, the gap to Verstappen decreased from 57 to 47 points, with another 120 still to go.

Verstappen can only really blame himself for letting his rival chase the race again. While the pair would have been prepared for a battle throughout the race, the points difference might have been minimized had Verstappen not insisted on being completely uncompromising in both defense and attack.

After an early safety car phase and Norris was faster than Verstappen, the British driver overtook. With sharp hints of Texas, Verstappen once again pushed the British driver wide as he took the spot. Norris was angry. “This guy is dangerous, I just have to avoid an accident or I’ll end up in the wall,” he said.

The two are good friends, but in this form it must be questioned how much of Verstappen’s attitude towards taking part in races wheel to wheel Norris is prepared to embrace in a good mood.

More followed. As the pair continued to battle and Norris once again refused to give up his position, Verstappen came at him and dived too hot inside, regaining the place by going wide and pushing Norris off the spot.

The stewards quickly handed the Dutchman a 10-second penalty for the initial incident at turn four and Verstappen was told there had been “a lot of whining” from Norris, but worse was to come as he was given a further 10-second penalty -Leaving the corner penalty was imposed in the second incident at turn eight to gain an advantage. Verstappen was on the race track, but with 20 seconds left he was now looking to limit the damage.

Verstappen was the beneficiary in Austin, but this time it was hugely costly and once again sparked a heated debate that will not die down quietly. On Friday the drivers had met to discuss the driving rules, particularly in relation to pushing each other off the track, as set out in the FIA ​​Guidelines on Driving Standards, and there was apparent agreement that they should be adjusted, to prevent further incidents.

The FIA ​​had agreed to address the issue and agree the likely changes with drivers in two races in Qatar. However, the stewards in Mexico felt that Verstappen had clearly exceeded the mark, twice, and a more urgent meeting may now be called ahead of the next round in Brazil next weekend.

Verstappen was upset as always, but it was impossible to ignore that if he had been just a little less aggressive he would have at least been able to finish a few places clear of Norris. He later admitted that he felt the car was not up to speed and that it had forced his hand.

During the only round of pit stops, Verstappen collected his penalty for an agonizingly slow wait in his pit, ending up in 15th place. He charged hard to get back, but the damage was done. If Norris can see this tough fight through to the end, the Dutchman could look back on these moments of optimism with regret.

Norris finished second to Charles Leclerc on lap 63, but Sainz and Ferrari secured a deserved victory. A masterstroke for Sainz with his teammate Leclerc in third place, now making the Scuderia one of the leading forces on the grid.

They got two wins in a row for the first time this season and it was another very significant win. As one of the fastest cars, they have finally taken a real step forward and have now overtaken Red Bull for second in the constructors’ championship. In this form they have a real chance of taking the title from current leaders McLaren.

There are only four meetings left for Norris, with two sprint races remaining, and although he remains the underdog in the title fight, he has at least kept it alive and narrowed the gap. One or two more blows against an unsettled Verstappen and it could still go to the end.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell took fourth and fifth place for Mercedes.