Jacques Villeneuve labels Mexican GP ‘embarrassing’ after one race-deciding incident, ‘worst thing’

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The 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix might be remembered as one of the pivotal moments in Lando Norris’ Formula 1 career if he goes on to win the championship this season.

After being 34 points behind Oscar Piastri at one point this year, Lando Norris has retaken the lead in the drivers’ championship after winning the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The threat of Max Verstappen is still looming in the background with four race weekends remaining, as he finished on the podium again, with Charles Leclerc recording his and Ferrari’s seventh top-three finish of 2025.

Lewis Hamilton congratulated Oliver Bearman on a career-best result, but was left frustrated by a 10-second penalty that ruined his chances of ending his wait for a Ferrari podium.

Piastri could only climb to fifth after a poor qualifying session, while George Russell was left frustrated by Mercedes’ slow decision to swap their drivers, with Bearman potentially vulnerable in his Haas.

There were plenty of big talking points, particularly as Liam Lawson came around the first corner during the opening laps to see marshals on the track clearing away debris.

However, 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve labelled one moment during the Mexican Grand Prix as ‘embarrassing’.

He believed the late virtual safety car brought out after Carlos Sainz retired from the race was the wrong decision and spoiled the battles for second and fourth.

READ MORE: Which F1 drivers do well at Mexico City Grand Prix with Max Verstappen successful

Jacques Villeneuve says Mexican Grand Prix virtual safety car call was ‘embarrassing’

Villeneuve was reviewing the race on Instagram and said: “We have a championship on our hands! It’s getting closer; it’s a great battle.

“Lando Norris was impeccable all weekend. He drove like he was driving last year, fighting Max. If he keeps this momentum going, then he has a very good option for the championship.

“Mostly because his teammate is still a bit in the hole. He recovered a bit in the race, he got some points, salvaged the weekend, but he’s still not on the level he should be, or that he was earlier in the season.

“And Max, even though it was a tough weekend, managed to get some really good points. Managed to get closer to the lead of the championship again.

“It was chaos a little bit this race, mainly at the start. We always wonder, how random are the penalties given? Sometimes they should be given, sometimes not. We’re always in doubt; it’s a little bit confusing.

“But, the worst thing of all, the virtual safety car. Two laps to go, when there were good battles going on on the track, that was a bit embarrassing.

“Bearman, impressive, great racecraft, fast, no problems with pressure when he was fighting to save his position, very impressive.”

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Mexico City Grand Prix including Nigel Mansell vs Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost

Carlos Sainz explains ‘frustrating’ Mexico City Grand Prix retirement after Liam Lawson contact

Lawson retired from the Mexican Grand Prix after sustaining damage following contact with Sainz going into the opening set of corners.

This ultimately hampered Sainz’s chances of scoring points, even though his performance in qualifying suggested he should have been in contention for a top 10 finish.

A five-place grid penalty, received for crashing into Antonelli at the previous race, dropped him from seventh to 12th on the grid, and that left him stuck in the middle of the melee at turn one.

Reflecting on the race, Sainz said: “A frustrating race as we had excellent pace today.

“Turn 1 was a melee of cars, and I had contact with a VCARB, which damaged the rim of my tyre, causing big vibrations on the first stint, and also damaged all the front tyre sensors, meaning the pit limiter didn’t work.

“That caused the two penalties in the pit lane, compromising my entire race. It was basically a snowball effect that cost us a clear chance of getting points today, as the pace was really strong and I was very fast with both soft tyres.”

As Sainz alluded to in his post-race media session, he received two penalties for speeding in the pit lane, which meant he was running near the back of the grid before his retirement.

He did the best job possible to avoid his DNF impacting the race, but the FIA’s explanation was that marshals had to enter the track to move his car, and that forced them to bring out the VSC.