From a newcomer’s P4 to the F1 championship fight, the Mexico GP provided everyone with a reason to watch once more.

      Gerardo Vieyra, NurPhoto via Getty

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      It’s uncommon for a Formula 1 race in 2025 to encompass everything: a lead change in the championship among teammates, a fierce second-place contest to the finish line, a defensive showcase only Checo Perez could execute, a final-lap virtual safety car, a severe penalty, and even tougher pushes off the track.

      The 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix showcased all of this on Sunday. Yet, it was the remarkable performances from midfield teams—competing with faster cars and more substantial budgets—that captivated the audience over the 71 laps.

      When Oliver Bearman debuted in F1 during the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Carlos Sainz's replacement, few anticipated that the Formula 2 driver would propel a Ferrari to seventh place in his very first 50-lap F1 race. Completing the race while driving the prancing horse logo as a newcomer was a notable achievement, but finishing in the top five at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez after battling wheel-to-wheel with four-time champion Max Verstappen in a Haas was almost extraordinary.

      Jakub Porzycki

      Xinhua News Agency

      Jakub Porzycki, Li Mengxin/Xinhua via Getty Images

      Bearman secured fourth place, just missing out on a podium finish, after starting ninth on the grid, marking the team's best result ever. The 20-year-old rightfully earned the Driver of the Day award.

      “We finished there on merit,” Bearman said after the race. “Even if we didn’t have the qualifying pace, we had the race pace to maintain our position. So I believe we did an excellent job… It’s a feel-good moment. Also, racing side-by-side with Max [Verstappen] was an incredible experience. He’s someone I’ve essentially grown up watching in F1, so it’s amazing, and I’m really proud of our performance today.”

      With Esteban Ocon’s ninth-place finish, the American team also achieved its highest combined finish. Ocon completed the race just behind Lewis Hamilton, who started third but received a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He had on-track battles with Williams’ Alex Albon and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto to secure two points.

      Barely making it into the points, Bortoleto rounded out the top ten, representing the team that will soon transition into Audi F1 following Nico Hulkenberg's retirement due to a mechanical failure.

      While Mercedes isn’t traditionally a midfield team, they are currently the best of the rest. Kimi Antonelli and George Russell’s ability to fend off former championship leader Oscar Piastri—until they couldn’t—was a moment where driver strategy trumped car speed.

      The series of mid-tier battles that made Sunday’s grand prix memorable held more significance than just the points accrued by each team.

      In any era of dominance—whether it be Hamilton, Verstappen, or the current McLaren era—24 races a year can become monotonous, especially as we approach the end of an extensive season. Even with the thrills of a title battle between teammates, a bit of scrappiness and variety can rejuvenate the allure of racing in a sport that is constantly evolving with entertainment and American interests in mind.

      Mark Sutton via Getty

      F1 is already focused on increasing viewership. It attracted its highest-ever U.S. GP audience last weekend, with 1.5 million viewers, according to ESPN. The Miami GP in May also saw 2.1 million attendees. The sport, known for its innovation, aims to boost those figures, moving toward a future that seems to emphasize artificial spectacle over enhancing the racing experience. CEO Stefano Domenicali suggested shorter races to cater to the diminishing attention spans of younger viewers. Races in flashy host cities willing to pay are prioritized over drivers' capacity to overtake on those tracks. Classic, fan-favorite circuits are gradually being eliminated.

      Thus, when a grand prix can genuinely create a bit of motorsport magic—not solely at the front of the pack but across all aspects—it entices spectators to take a seat and watch. A street race under the lights in a sparkling new city may lure fans in for the spectacle, but it’s the battles off the track, the wide turns with four cars abreast, and overtakes in the most unexpected places that draw in ticket sales.

      In short, it’s those Bearman P4 moments.

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