Lando Norris plotting execution plan for McLaren to stun F1 rivals

Lando Norris believes qualifying at the Mexico City Grand Prix will "come down to execution", with McLaren looking stronger at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez than in recent rounds.

Norris sat out FP1 with Leonardo Fornaroli deputising for him, but enjoyed a strong second free practice session, finishing second quickest behind Charles Leclerc.

The reigning F1 drivers' champion was keen to stress that the MCL40 remains tricky to handle, even though he feels there is performance to extract.

"Not a bad day on the timesheets at the end of Free Practice 2, but the car is still proving a challenge to drive," said Norris.

"The pace is definitely there, but the field is incredibly tight at the minute, so it will come down to execution in qualifying. 

"Thank you to Leo for his support in Free Practice 1; we’ve still got plenty to work on overnight as a team, but the foundations are definitely there for us to build on." 

McLaren back up Norris

Reflecting on the day, McLaren director of racing Randy Singh expanded on Norris' comments, underlining how execution will be key over the rest of the weekend.

"Based on what we’ve seen today, the level of competitiveness is exceptionally close, with the top four teams separated by very small gaps and the rest of the field closer together than usual," he said.

"Managing power unit and brake temperatures will be crucial for the rest of the weekend, especially in race conditions when running in traffic.

"We’ve seen numerous front-wheel lockups across the field, but we know where we can gain further lap times and feel well prepared to tackle qualifying and Sunday’s race."