Norris shuts down F1 boo boys as Piastri title race rumbles on

Championship leader Lando Norris has brushed aside a recent spate of booing, calling it a sign that he has “done something right”.

Second in the championship to Oscar Piastri for much of the season, Norris nipped ahead of his teammate by a single point at the Mexico City Grand Prix where he claimed his first win in six grand prix weekends.

Lando Norris shrugs off boo boys in F1</h2

Against the backdrop of conspiracies and tinfoil hat theories that claimed McLaren wanted Norris to win the title as he’s British, has been there longer, and is Zak Brown’s golden boy, Norris was booed on the podium.

The crowd made its displeasure towards Norris audible, but the Briton brushed it off.

“I like sour sweets,” he quipped. “I don’t know why, to be honest.

“People can do what they want, honestly. They have the right to do it if they want to do it.

“So I think that’s sport sometimes. I don’t know why I can’t stop laughing when I get booed. I think it makes it more entertaining for me. So, yeah, they can keep doing it if they want.”

Two weeks later in Brazil, Norris dominated with two pole positions and two race wins, and yet he was still jeered at by some in the crowd.

Norris again brushed it off, saying: “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.”

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya reckons the booing isn’t so much about Norris, but rather the perception amongst some fans that McLaren is favouring the Briton over his teammate Piastri.

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“Everyone is booing Lando Norris because they all assume McLaren is prioritising him to win the championship,” Montoya told PokerStrategy.

“I think McLaren have changed the car to make it stronger in qualifying and Norris can drive it, Oscar Piastri can’t. Formula 1 is not a popularity contest, it’s about destroying your opponents.

“If fans and drivers hate you, it’s an even better reason to destroy them with your performances. The hate can be used as fuel, it makes the wins even more satisfying.”

But while Norris stopped short of calling it fuel, he reckons if people are booing him, he’s doing something right in Formula 1.

“I see the boos as a good thing,” he said as per the Daily Mail. “It is like you have finally done something right.

“Max got a lot of boos in previous years. He doesn’t get any now. He gets the most cheers. Lewis (Hamilton) got a lot of boos before. I guess when you’re on top, people want to bring you down. They don’t want to see you winning.

“If I do a s*** job and get boos, I deserve it. But if I win and I get them, I couldn’t care less. I have so many fans that back me always.

“I didn’t come on the radio and say, “Hey, can we do this?” I had nothing to do with it. So that’s why it doesn’t bother me.”

Norris will line up on Saturday night’s grid in Las Vegas leading the standings by 24 points ahead of Piastri and 49 up on Verstappen.

He, however, isn’t not banking on a World title as a lot could still happen in the final three race weekends.

“There is no point getting excited about winning the title, or dreaming of it, because it still feels quite far away.” he said.

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