Lando Norris’s post-race Mexican Grand Prix triumph was met with boos from the crowd – and it’s believed that response has its roots in what happened in Monza.
The McLaren driver took a dominant victory in Mexico City on Sunday to retake the lead of the Formula 1 drivers’ championship from team-mate Oscar Piastri.
But he got a harsh reception from spectators in the stadium section afterwards – with his post-race television interviews being drowned out by boos and jeers.
The nature of the fan reaction caught many by surprise, with Norris insisting in the post-race press conference that he was not too bothered
“I don’t know why, to be honest,” he said. “And people can do what they want honestly. They have the right to do it if they want to do it.
“I think that’s sport sometimes. I don’t know why – [but] I can’t stop laughing when I get booed. I think it makes it more entertaining for me.”
He added: “It was the same in Monza and a few other places. So, yeah, I don’t know why. I just can’t stop laughing. So if they want to continue, they can…”
While being initially baffled at the cause of the booing, Norris was subsequently informed by a Mexican journalist (Carlos Jalife from Fast Mag) that the fan response was a consequence of McLaren’s team orders controversy from the Italian GP.
That was when Piastri was ordered to give up track position to Norris after a slow pit-stop had delayed the British driver in the closing stages.
Speaking directly to Norris, Jalife said: “We did a poll that you’re being given the championship. That’s why the booing is coming.
“We asked: What should Lando do? And they said, ‘return the three points’. That was the question that got the most percentage of the answers. So basically, that’s the background of the booing in Mexico. I don’t know about any other places. So would you be willing to return those three points?”
Norris initially seemed quite taken aback about that being the cause of the harsh fan reception, before going on to explain why he felt Monza was not anything that needed a response to.
“Sure if they want to think that, they certainly have the right to,” he said. “They can think whatever they want.
“I guess from us as a team of course we try and do things fairly. That was the comment we made back then.
“The same two years ago in Budapest, when I could have won the race and had to let Oscar back through and let him win the race. He deserved to win. It was no different to that. Really.”
He added: “To be honest, if you want to have the three points they can, but you know, they have the right to think whatever they want. Oscar deserved the win last year in Budapest. I deserve to be ahead in Monza, simple as that.”
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