Lando Norris’s dominant victory on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix confirmed that he’s working on “a unique stage”, based on Johnny Herbert.
The McLaren driver claimed a commanding lights-to-flag win, his sixth of the 2025 season, to retake the lead of the world championship from teammate Oscar Piastri by a single level with 4 occasions remaining.
Norris aced the beginning, prevented the chaos behind him, and managed the 71-lap race in Mexico Metropolis to land the most recent blow to Piastri’s stuttering title cost.
And Herbert believes Norris’s newest F1 win exhibits how a lot he has improved.
“The assertion that mentioned to me that he’s on a unique stage now. He felt so relaxed over the entire weekend. That’s one thing we have not most likely heard earlier than, and we most likely have not seen earlier than,” Herbert instructed AdventureGamers.
“The actual second which demonstrated that, was his begin. It was flawless. It is the most effective begin we have seen Lando Norris ever do. It was excellent. It has been an space the place he has been actually struggling.
“That exhibits that typically if in case you have that capability to simply kind of shake your arms, eliminate that strain that’s there earlier than the beginning and simply do your bit, you are in a position to capitalise on doing the beginning like he did.
“He went on from there to completely controlling the race and was by no means beneath strain. To ship that in the best way he did was excellent timing. That was an actual assertion for what may come for the remainder of the championship.
“However is it a given now that he is sorted all the problems that he had? Oscar is the one who appears to have all the problems, and he is now obtained to attempt to work it out. It exhibits that everyone goes via the identical points, they’re all struggling in their very own manner, all having their issues.
“However Lando with the McLaren appeared to be completely at residence at a monitor clearly that he is very comfy with as properly and he handled all of the booing that was occurring on the identical time which is at all times a ridiculous factor that occurs.”
Has Norris put self-doubts behind him?
Herbert additionally reckons Norris is extra assured and assured in himself and his performances.
“With Norris self doubting himself earlier within the season, I feel he has put this behind him, no less than from what we noticed in Mexico. Doubt will at all times creep in when issues aren’t fairly going the best way you both count on it,” he added.
“And the largest hurdle it’s a must to recover from is the sentiments that you just’re having with the automobile when it does not fairly really feel the place it must be. You’ve got obtained to have the ability to battle that mentally and bodily to beat it.
“You want confidence. I do not assume confidence has most likely at all times shone via. However that is his character, his character shouldn’t be a lot exhibiting interior confidence.
“You do with Oscar. Oscar you may’t learn. It is a highly effective factor on the identical time as a result of you do not know if he is in an excellent place or a foul place.
“It is solely the feedback which have began to emerge which point out how he’s considering. It started at Silverstone the place he wasn’t blissful throughout and after the race.
“Feedback began to come back out. That was one thing we hadn’t seen earlier than, however that’s solely human nature.
“Typically you attempt to clam up and never inform the world that is occurring and perhaps that is probably been a weak spot for Lando. Lando’s at all times been so open, saying ‘I’ve performed this incorrect, or that incorrect, I should not have performed this.’
“In distinction, Oscar has at all times been attempting to carry it internally, however he has obtained to some extent the place he does that overtly now, speaking about it. He’s felt that has been one thing that works for him.
“A very powerful a part of the weekend for me was how relaxed Lando was. That’s going to provide him far more pace and alternative to supply the products.
“If he has sorted out his begins as he confirmed in Mexico, at the moment within the championship, he is put himself in an excellent place. That one little second might be the sport changer, that he has sussed it and cracked it.
“He hadn’t cracked it for fairly some time and now he is been in a position to do this.”
