Lando Norris had unfinished business going into the 2025 F1 Mexico City GP. That was because of the bittersweet experience he walked away with from the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in 2024. While Norris managed to pip Max Verstappen after a fierce battle, he failed to seal the win against Carlos Sainz in Ferrari.
This time around, the Briton was facing a different challenge. More than any other rival, he had McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri as the biggest roadblock standing between him and the victory. While Norris ultimately conquered every challenge thrown his way during the Mexico City GP weekend, the victory turned out to be sweeter as he emerged as the leader in the drivers’ standings, though by a slender margin of one point.
Lando Norris explained the change in approach at the 2025 F1 Mexico City GP
Norris had far too many challenges to take care of at the 2024 F1 Mexico City GP. While the biggest target was on Verstappen’s back for the championship, the #4 driver also had the mighty task of keeping a resurgent Ferrari pair at bay.
This time around, the brief was far clearer — beat Piastri and manage the emerging threat from Verstappen. Fortunately for Norris, both drivers failed to pose any threat in qualifying. Incidentally, Norris had weighed in on the difference from 12 months ago and how his approach had changed ahead of the start of the Mexico City GP weekend.
“I think it’s still a very different position to what I was in last, last year. I think also the, the approach from the other guys is also quite different this year compared to what it was last year,” Lando Norris said on F1 Mexico City GP media day.
“Therefore, my approach is different. I think it’s the more subtle things that probably you learn and that you can use. I wouldn’t say it’s things that make you win one weekend. But it’s small decisions that you make here or there, whether it’s with a setup or strategy, or attacking into one or defending. Like little things that might help, might not.
“But I wouldn’t say it’s like what I know now would have won me more things last year. I don’t think that’s the case, but more subtle background things, mental things that just help you perform a bit more consistently, I would say.”
Norris admits ‘100%’ better chance at F1 title and identifies threats in the path
McLaren pulled off a remarkable resurgence in the second half of the 2024 F1 season. While it was enough to dethrone Red Bull from the constructors’ championship, Verstappen’s brilliance helped him keep Norris at bay.
The Woking-based team started the 2025 season as favorites, though. While Verstappen is on a resurgent run of his own, lately, Norris’ primary threat remains his garage partner Piastri. Before pipping the Australian by a point in the drivers’ standings at the F1 Mexico City GP, Norris weighed in on the roadblocks standing between him and a ‘100%’ better chance at the title.
“I certainly believe I can and do have a much better chance this year than last year, 100%. But as a driver, I have more confidence in what I did last season. It doesn’t mean I have a much better chance,” Norris acknowledged.
“I’m against a driver who’s improved a massive bit from his second season to his third. I’m against a four-time world champion. So, the difference is that at the same time, I’m against the best drivers in the world. So I don’t expect anything but top battles,” he concluded.
