Lando Norris was booed by fans at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after winning the Mexico City Grand Prix, prompting an awkward smile and a swift response from the McLaren driver
Lando Norris was swift to respond after being mysteriously jeered by supporters following his triumph at the Mexico City Grand Prix. It was one of the most straightforward victories of his Formula 1 career as he began from pole position and dominated throughout, finishing more than 30 seconds clear of nearest rival Charles Leclerc.
The Monegasque was warmly welcomed by the crowd during his initial post-race interview in the stadium section, as was third-placed Max Verstappen. But when the television cameras returned to victor Norris for an additional question, he was met with a chorus of boos that caused him to halt mid-response.
Obviously taken aback, Norris grinned awkwardly as he glanced up towards the grandstands and gathered himself, before addressing a question about his championship strategy now that he tops the title standings by a single point.
He declared: “I keep my head down and I ignore all of this. I keep to myself and it’s working at the minute!”
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Moments before, he had been highly praising of the locals when discussing his victory: “What a race! I could just keep my eyes forward and focus on what I was doing. It was a pretty straightforward race for me which was just what I was after.
“Good start, good launch, good first lap and I could go from there. It’s my first win here in Mexico, a beautiful place to win, especially here in the stadium section. A big thanks to all the fans.”
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Leclerc, who finished second, expressed relief at the late virtual safety car period that helped him fend off a surging Verstappen. “I was quite happy about it!” the Ferrari driver confessed. “My tyres were completely gone and I could see Max was coming back on the softer tyre, so it was tough and I think the safety car saved me at the end.”
Ferrari’s impressive qualifying performance surprised Leclerc as he secured consecutive podiums, adding: “I’m very happy with this weekend. We didn’t know what to expect and to again end up on the podium is a great surprise. I’m very happy to be on this amazing podium once again.”
Verstappen shrugged off the missed opportunity to fight for second place and three additional world championship points. “You win some, you lose some. Sometimes the safety car works for you, sometimes it works against you,” he responded.
Reflecting on his eventful race, the Red Bull driver said: “It was very hectic. We had a good start… at turn one we were four wide and I almost crashed into the wall, and even after that there was a lot going on. It’s been a difficult weekend for us, but to be fighting for P2 with everything that happened in the first few laps, I think it’s a very strong result.