Lando Norris believes his Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix efficiency was one of the best he has produced throughout a race weekend, after dominating from pole place to take the championship lead.
McLaren had not received since Oscar Piastri’s victory at Zandvoort, however Norris delivered a powerful pole lap on Saturday after which led each lap of the race to win by over 30 seconds from Charles Leclerc. Whereas it was the largest successful margin of his profession thus far, Norris says he’s most pleased with how he carried out throughout everything of the weekend.
“I feel it is the one the place I simply carried out one of the best,” Norris mentioned. “I do not know, dominant or not, but it surely’s the one the place I feel I’ve simply carried out greatest all through, from FP2 all the best way to the top of the race. In a manner, I feel it is simply my greatest efficiency by a complete weekend – all my laps in qualifying, all my follow, all my race.
“The automotive is simply fast; it has been the entire season, however clearly it is nonetheless troublesome to drive at occasions. I feel once you simply discover that candy spot, it may be down the street and make your life a bit simpler. I do not know [why]. It is onerous to say what’s higher about mine than the others, however I’ve simply had a bit extra grip, and that is usually at all times the best reply.”
Norris was 34 factors behind Piastri after retiring from second place in Zandvoort after the summer time break, however he has outscored his teammate in every of the 5 races since to take the lead by a solitary level heading into the ultimate 4 rounds.
“It is nonetheless very clear in my head,” he mentioned. “You place [Zandvoort] behind you. Proper? You overlook about that as a lot as you’ll be able to, and also you simply deal with each race arising. You overlook about each earlier weekend. After all you attempt to study from each scenario, however each weekend’s new and you’ve got a recent begin to attempt new issues and attempt to do higher than earlier than. I really feel like that is what I’ve completed very nicely this weekend.
“The previous few have been first rate. This has simply been my greatest efficiency, however nonetheless an extended approach to go, so I simply need to hold doing what I am doing, hold making an attempt to be constant in opposition to some very fast guys round me.
“I feel that’ll be good, but it surely doesn’t suggest as a result of I am forward or behind or no matter that I’ve to drive or do something in another way – simply hold doing what I am doing.”
Regardless of taking the championship lead, Norris additionally warns that Max Verstappen has outscored each McLaren drivers because the summer time break, having closed to inside 36 factors of the lead with third place in Mexico.
“It is one weekend at a time. I am joyful,” he mentioned. “I am targeted on myself, I hold my head down, I ignore all of this and I hold to myself, and it is working on the minute, so I am joyful.
“For the championship, who is aware of? It is nonetheless fairly tight between us. Max has nonetheless caught me over the past what six, seven weekends, so … I have been preserving preserving my head down, preserving targeted, doing my very own factor and that is all you are able to do. Each weekend is new, each weekend is completely different, and it is a lengthy approach to go.”
