Lando Norris takes pole position, while teammate Oscar Piastri manages only seventh. The English driver brings the McLaren MCL39 back to the forefront and attempts to curb the threat from Max Verstappen. Andrea Stella explains: “Norris thrives on low-grip circuits, whereas Piastri requires high grip, which the Australian struggles with in the middle section where the car becomes slippery.” The team has ruled out the possibility of a chassis change.
Norris channels Verstappen
Lando Norris delivered a performance reminiscent of Max Verstappen, ticking every box for a perfect qualifying session. He showed no errors, impressive speed, and composure, reclaiming the time previously threatened by Charles Leclerc. He proved untouchable for his teammate and was precise in nailing his lap time on the first attempt, saving a set of new soft tires for the race.
This is a Norris in top form, stepping up decisively just as the McLaren returned to being the car to beat. He put almost three-tenths of a second between himself and Charles Leclerc—a significant gap on a track completed in seventy-five seconds. “I pushed a lot, that’s for sure,” Norris commented. “But during the lap, I didn’t have the delta showing how I was doing (Norris had asked the team to remove this information after the last Monaco Grand Prix, finding it distracting). There were a couple of points, including Turn 6, where I thought I didn’t get the best exits, but overall I felt it was a good lap that I expected to finish around 1:15.9 or 1:15.8. Then, after crossing the line, the display showed 1:15.5, and… I had a huge smile. It was a great feeling I hadn’t experienced in a while.”
Work behind the resurgence
“Together with my team, I worked on myself, even away from the track, to understand my difficulties and how to overcome them. The last thing I want is to make excuses. There is a reason behind everything—if I’m slow, you’ll hear me say I performed poorly. I believe I have always been honest. I am very pleased the team has supported me by improving certain aspects, but we still need to do more to consistently get better.”
Mexican GP strategy
For Norris, the Mexican Grand Prix promises to be a long race, but he will start with the confidence of potentially crossing the finish line as the championship leader. He has had a flawless weekend so far, yet he knows the points are not yet awarded. What makes the day even more special is not just securing pole position, but also seeing Max Verstappen in fifth and Oscar Piastri in eighth (later upgraded to seventh due to a penalty for Carlos Sainz).
Piastri struggles
After qualifying, the spotlight shifted to Oscar Piastri’s disappointing performance, even more than Norris’ superb pole. Andrea Stella confirmed in a media session that most questions revolved around the ‘Piastri mystery.’ According to the McLaren team principal, the MCL39 is once again the fastest car this weekend, thanks to setup adjustments made after Austin. However, it didn’t click for Oscar Piastri.
Stella emphasized that even the fastest car must be driven in a specific way. “Lando is the driver who performs best in low-grip conditions, as we often see at the end of stints when tires are worn and grip drops. Oscar, on the other hand, excels in high-grip conditions, which allow him to fully utilize his talent. At the same time, we must remember that Oscar, despite leading the championship, is still in his third Formula 1 season. In critical conditions, his calibration isn’t yet perfect, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Challenges of Hermanos Rodriguez
The Hermanos Rodriguez circuit presents the worst conditions for drivers who dislike low grip. The middle sector is particularly challenging, with cars sliding easily and each skid increasing tire surface temperature. The consequences are most visible in the final sector, where tires outside their optimal window can lose significant tenths. After qualifying, Norris led the sector while Piastri was seventh, even behind Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar.
“We must consider that Lando completed an exceptional lap,” Stella explained, “so we find ourselves with one driver slightly struggling while the other maximized what was available.”
The McLaren team principal also categorically ruled out any car problems for Piastri. “All information we have indicates no anomalies with the car, and we have no reason to suspect otherwise.”
“Historically, teams sometimes changed chassis in similar situations,” Andrea Stella continued, “but with this generation of cars, if there were technical doubts, I would focus on other components, like the floor or wings. We are confident there are no car issues; it’s a matter of familiarity, and I’m sure Oscar will benefit from today’s learning.”
Race outlook and championship implications
McLaren hopes that Norris can emerge from Turn 4 as the leader, safe from the DRS zone. “Our goal is to break the Max Verstappen cycle and enforce the Papaya drivers’ cycle,” Andrea Stella added. “There’s a bigger picture: ensuring the 2025 championship goes to a McLaren driver.”
There’s every opportunity to deal a near-decisive blow to Verstappen. “On this track, we capitalize on the MCL39 cooling system work,” Stella concluded. “It’s important because compromising aerodynamics for sufficient cooling can significantly reduce efficiency. Mexico isn’t the place to judge a car outright, as cooling demands can affect performance. We’re reaping the benefits of our 2025 car investment in applied engineering for the cooling system.”
Norris will need a clean first lap and a flawless race; according to McLaren, results will follow. For Piastri, the challenge is much steeper. He needs at least fifth to leave Mexico City within one point of the potential new championship leader—a result that, a few months ago, would have seemed highly disappointing, but today is far from certain.
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