Lando Norris issues instant response as Mexico GP fans boo him | F1 | Sport

Lando Norris was quick to comment after he was inexplicably booed by fans after winning the Mexico City Grand Prix. It was one of the easiest victories of his Formula 1 career as he started on pole and led for the entire race, crossing the finish line more than 30 seconds ahead of nearest challenger Charles Leclerc.

The Monegasque received a warm reception from the crowd as he did his first post-race interview in the stadium section, as did third-placed Max Verstappen. But when the TV cameras went back onto race-winner Norris for one more question, he received a chorus of boos which caused him to pause mid-answer.

Clearly caught by surprise, Norris smiled awkwardly as he looked up into the grandstands and composed himself, after which he replied to a question about his approach to the championship now that he leads the title race by one point. He said: “I keep my head down and I ignore all of this. I keep to myself and it’s working at the minute!”

Moments earlier, he had been very complimentary of the locals when he said of 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.”

Leclerc crossed the line second and was a relieved man having been helped to hold off the charging Verstappen by a late virtual safety car period. “I was quite happy about it!” the Ferrari driver admitted. “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 had impressed in qualifying and Leclerc said he was surprised by the pace they had been able to show again as he secured back-to-back 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 made it clear he was not going to lose sleep over the lost chance to fight for second place and three extra world championship points. “You win some, you lose some. Sometimes the safety car works for you, sometimes it works against you,” he replied.

Regsarding his eventful race, the Red Bull racer 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.”