Propelled by his triumph in Mexico, Lando Norris has reclaimed the lead in the 2025 Formula 1 championship, edging out McLaren colleague Oscar Piastri by a mere point. This advancement for the British racer is attributed to his consistent performance relative to Piastri in recent events, potentially aided by his choice to limit the data displayed on his steering wheel.
The after-race analysis from Singapore, focusing on Norris, has been identified as a possible catalyst for his improved form, culminating in his dominant showing at the Mexico Grand Prix.
The superior cooling capabilities and the proficient management of rear tyre degradation clearly played a pivotal role in unlocking Norris’s peak performance. The direct outcome was his pole position in Mexico, a notable improvement from his fifth position in Singapore. Meanwhile, Piastri secured third place in Marina Bay but saw a decline to eighth in Mexico.
The disparity between the two racers extends beyond mere setup preferences and lap times; each adopts a markedly distinct strategy when aiming for their best qualifying times on Saturdays.
Beginning with the Monaco GP, Norris made a request to eliminate the delta information from his steering wheel display. This feature provides drivers with a real-time indication of whether they are gaining or losing time compared to their fastest lap.
This is a rather unusual choice, driven by a specific goal: to lessen the effect of readily available data. The delta, positioned in the upper right-hand corner of McLaren’s steering wheel just above the speed readout, is frequently used by drivers to gauge lap progress and assess whether they’re improving on their personal best.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Images
There have been instances where drivers have abandoned an attempt or approached a lap more cautiously because of the data presented by the delta. Norris, in contrast to his teammate, opted to take away that data during qualifying rounds to prevent it from influencing how he drove.
According to him, by making this decision, he can push to the limit on every corner, knowing he can still pull out if a clear mistake happens. However, how things feel and what the stopwatch says do not always line up. It’s not unusual for drivers to feel comfortable with the car but then not be able to turn that into a quick lap.
Because of this, Norris doesn’t want to be influenced by anything during qualifying and instead focuses solely on the track.
“Who knows if [the delta] would have been helpful or harmful?” Norris commented after qualifying for the Mexico GP. “I believe the key benefit of not having it is that I push regardless – irrespective of how the lap began or how I navigated any specific corner.”
“I think it comes down to having no point of reference for the overall lap time, so you keep aiming to extract the most from each corner. Otherwise, I sometimes fixate on it, which is never a good thing.”
“So yes, it’s good. Usually, if things go well, like they did today, it’s a great surprise to see such a good lap time pop up.”
McLaren steering wheel screen comparison between Norris and Piastri in qualifying
Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
The lap time remains visible on the screen at the end of each lap, providing him with a final point for evaluation.
Furthermore, key data points such as tyre temperatures, vital for optimising preparation and identifying the optimal operating window, and gear and brake balance – frequently managed through preset configurations – remain accessible during the lap.
Over the course of a race weekend, though, things change, as the delta is visible on Norris’s steering wheel during the races. Throughout the grand prix, this feature provides a basis for consistent driving and offers a point of reference for the degree of conservation the team may ask for at certain points in the race.
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– The Autosport.com Team
