A chance of pole in Mexico? Here’s what Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris has to say

For Lando Norris, as for many of his colleagues, the race weekend in Mexico only began with the second free practice session. This was because Leo Fornaroli had driven the Formula 1 world champion’s car in the first free practice session. The Italian completed 25 laps and finished 17th on the timesheet. This was due in no small part to tyre management, which he found challenging.

The 2025 Formula 2 champion, who will be competing in the World Endurance Championship next year, admitted: “It was very difficult to get the tyres up to the right temperature. I locked up the front wheels as early as the first corner, and that affected the whole run on the soft tyres and, of course, the performance as well.”

Lando Norris: “The pace is definitely there”

Nevertheless, Norris expressed his gratitude for the work done by the McLaren reserve driver. “Thanks to Leo for his support in the first practice session. There’s still a lot of work ahead for the team, but we have a good foundation to build on,” explained the 13-time Grand Prix winner, who missed out on the day’s fastest time by just under a tenth of a second and finished second on the timesheet behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

There is hope for a strong result in qualifying, as the 26-year-old Briton emphasises: “If you look at the timesheet from the second practice session, it wasn’t a bad day. However, it was once again a challenge to get the car moving quickly. The pace is certainly there, but the field is very closely matched. That’s why how we perform in qualifying will be crucial.”

Topic of the week

Soon-to-be world champion Kimi Antonelli: The inevitable will then follow in Mexico

The 20-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli had the chance to secure the 2026 World Championship title at the US Grand Prix. He did everything right: victory in Texas. The title celebrations have nevertheless been postponed. Until Mexico.

Read More

TV Program

Tomorrow

Mexico City: Rennen Re-Live

FIA Formula One World Championship

01.11.2026 - 23:15