Even Ferrari, the closest contenders to McLaren’s dominant driver Lando Norris at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, could not bridge the gap during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.
Charles Leclerc held provisional pole after the first Q3 runs, but Norris quickly beat that time by nearly three-tenths. With Lewis Hamilton starting third, there were questions about how Norris would handle the race strategically.
But Hamilton’s penalty took him out of contention early, and Leclerc simply did not have the pace to stay with Norris, who finished more than 30 seconds clear – his biggest winning margin of 2025.
Since Ferrari’s last win in Mexico a year ago, Norris has taken seven victories.
Ferrari took exception to Lando Norris’ lift-and-coast comments
After qualifying on Saturday, the drivers were asked if they had concerns about being told to lift and coast during the race. Mexico’s high temperatures and altitude always make cooling a real issue for teams.
Ferrari, meanwhile, use ‘LICO’ mainly to protect the underbody. In March, Hamilton had already been disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix for excessive plank wear.
Norris mocked Ferrari over their repeated issues with it: “I mean, ask these guys – they’re pros at it. These guys, they do it every race. Yeah, I think you always have to do it a little bit, but never as much as these guys.”
Leclerc agreed that lift and coast would be a significant part of Ferrari’s race strategy. However, the team did not appreciate Norris’ comments. David Croft noted that the Maranello outfit dispute the idea that they are impacted more than others.
Croft commented during his Sky Sports coverage: “Lando Norris picked up on that in the top-three press conference after qualifying when he was asked about lift and coast.
“He said, ‘Well ask these two, they do it way more than we do’, which upset Ferrari a bit because they said that, ‘Actually, we don’t.’ They’re having to today.”
Ferrari in a lift-and-coast controversy
Hamilton was asked 18 times to lift and coast during the race, a request that drivers tend to dislike as it slows them down and limits their ability to race aggressively.
At one point, the Briton called the instruction ‘ridiculous’ and later noted that he could not make up ground on the cars ahead under those conditions.
While Leclerc has been more vocal about issues with the 2025 car, Hamilton’s frustration was also evident in Mexico. As of that race, Ferrari had just 356 points – less than half of McLaren’s total of 713.
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