Lando Norris was given a surprisingly hostile reception after his victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday when F1 fans booed the McLaren star.
Starting on pole, Norris maintained his composure and eased to a 30-second victory over second-placed Charles Leclerc, with title rival Max Verstappen rounding out the podium.
Norris now has a lead in the F1 world championship for the first time since April, edging Oscar Piastri by one point in the standings with four races remaining.
There was confusion surrounding the emotions swirling around the paddock and the reputation of Norris, with Sky F1 pundit Jamie Chadwick, a three-time W Series champion, left irate at the reaction, stating: “I hate it, I hate booing for anyone. That needs to be applauded, not booed.”
While former F1 driver Karun Chandhok concurred, admitting he “hates” booing at races.
The rationale was not obvious, either, with 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve adding: “He's not even fighting [Sergio] Perez, unless there's a lot of Piastri fans in the grandstand.”
Norris was magnanimous, though, hitting back: “I love it! What a race - I just keep my eyes forward and focused on what I was doing. A pretty straightforward race for me, good launch and could go from there.
“This is awesome here. First win here in Mexico. A big thanks to all the fans. It’s one weekend at a time. I’m happy, focused on myself, keep my head down, it’s working at the minute.”
A local journalist suggested that F1 fans, with the majority at the race naturally from Mexico, sympathising with Piastri and resenting what they feel has been preferential treatment towards Norris, notably when McLaren ordered the Australian to step aside in Monza after a slow stop for his rival.
But Norris replied: “I don’t know why, to be honest. People can do what they want honestly, that is sport sometimes, I can’t stop laughing when I get booed.
“You don’t want it, I’d prefer if people cheer for me. Who knows? I just concentrate on doing my thing. If they want to continue they can.
“Sure, if they want to think that they can do whatever they want. For us as a team we tried to do things fairly. Same with last year in Budapest – I let Oscar win the race he deserved to win.
“If they want to have the three points back, they can. Oscar deserved the win in Budapest, I deserved the win in Monza.”
