Lando Norris pokes fun at Ferrari’s lift-and-coast issues. The Briton clinched pole position on Saturday for the Mexico City Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton surprisingly completing the top three. Afterwards, Norris was asked if he expected to have to lift off the throttle a lot during the race. He referred the question to the Ferrari drivers, who he said are ‘professionals’ in that area.
Ferrari reflects on a challenging season – the Scuderia has so far not managed to get beyond second place. In the last few Grand Prix, drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton primarily had to deal with overheated brakes and high tyre temperatures. As a result, they were often instructed to ease off the throttle; ‘lift-and-coast’, is the familiar command from the pit wall. Ferrari was already being ridiculed on social media for these issues, but during the press conference in Mexico City, Lando Norris added fuel to the fire.
When asked if he was concerned about having to ‘lift-and-coast’ during Sunday’s race, Norris scoffed at the Ferrari drivers flanking him. “Ask these guys – they’re the professionals,” he joked. “They do it every race. Yes, I expect I’ll have to save my tires occasionally, but never as much as these guys.” Leclerc candidly admitted that he has to consider easing off the gas. “Let’s just say I’m prepared for it,” he laughed. “This is a circuit where you always lift-and-coast, especially when you start from second place. That’s why the start is crucial; if you’re driving in clean air here, everything just goes much easier.”
‘Ferrari must hold back Verstappen and Piastri’
While Norris has two Ferraris in his wake, he also has to consider title rivals Max Verstappen (P5) and Oscar Piastri (P7). From pole position, he can make up a lot of points compared to both drivers. However, he doesn’t want to rule them out in Mexico. “They’re two of the best drivers on the grid,” Norris said. “Of course they can still come back to the front. Our race pace has been strong all year, so I do expect Oscar to come back. The same goes for Max – when has he ever not attacked and moved forward? Hopefully, I can just stay in front in the first round, and then these guys can hold everyone back for me,” Norris pointed to the two Ferrari drivers.
Leclerc immediately issued a warning to Norris: “That’s probably going to be difficult,” the Monegasque said. “I’d rather be in my position than theirs, but yes, they have the speed. Especially if Piastri starts driving at Norris’ pace, he has enough speed to fight his way forward.” So, it promises to be an exciting race in Mexico City. The lights go out at 20:00 UTC.
