Lando Norris was extremely fast during the second free practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix, particularly in race simulation runs. However, his comments after the session sounded rather worrying for McLaren fans.
The British driver looked full of energy in FP2 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Despite missing the first session, where he handed over his car to Pato O’Ward, Norris immediately appeared in great form during FP2. While he was not at the top during qualifying simulations—around two and a half tenths behind Max Verstappen—his race pace was highly impressive.
His long run on the soft tyres was particularly strong. Norris consistently lapped below the 1:22.0 mark throughout his stint, which was not short by any means. In comparison, his teammate was almost a full second slower per lap under similar conditions. It remains to be seen whether they were running different fuel loads.
A worried Lando Norris
Despite his strong performance, Lando Norris appeared concerned when speaking to the media. Asked about his day on track, he said that they were “in a decent position overall.” He explained that he managed to find good pace rather quickly, saying he was surprised by how strong his first lap was and how much he improved on the second one. “So I found the limit quite fast,” he added.
However, that limit is exactly what seems to worry him. “But then the limit was there,” Lando Norris admitted. “I found it quickly, but that limit held us back a bit.” He also expressed doubts about how the team would compare once the rest of the field improved over the weekend. “I wouldn’t say it was a great day. Usually we look very strong on Fridays, and then the others catch us on Saturday. And we’re already a bit behind today, so we’ll need to work a lot tonight.”
Lando Norris also spoke about his feeling with the car: “The balance of the car is a bit inconsistent! On the single lap we’re struggling a little, as has happened before, but we’re working hard, trying everything, and hopefully we can improve enough to fight.”
In summary, Lando Norris appeared visibly concerned—struggling with an inconsistent balance and aware that McLaren’s rivals often close the gap by Saturday. His statements stood in contrast to those of Oscar Piastri, who, despite some challenges, seemed calm and confident. Whether Norris is bluffing or genuinely worried will become clear during FP3, which gets underway at 19:30 local time.
Leave a Reply