Clever Lando Norris trick uncovered after Mexican Grand Prix breakthrough
Lando Norris has raced for McLaren since the start of 2019
McLaren driver Lando Norris has revealed that he has not had a delta time on his dashboard in qualifying since the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
It comes after he reclaimed the lead of the F1 2025 standings with a dominant pole-to-flag victory at last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Lando Norris drops qualifying delta time from McLaren MCL39 dashboard
Norris has enjoyed an impressive recovery since his retirement at the Dutch Grand Prix in August saw him fall a massive 34 points behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
The British driver has claimed podiums at four of the five races held since to gradually chip away at Piastri’s lead, with Norris returning to the top of the world championship by collecting his sixth victory of the season in Mexico last weekend.
Norris holds a one-point lead over Piastri ahead of the final four races with Red Bull driver and reigning four-time world champion Max Verstappen 26 points adrift.
Analysis: Mexican Grand Prix
👉 Mexican GP conclusions: Big Norris chance, Verstappen illusion, new Hamilton document incoming
👉 Mexico City Grand Prix driver ratings: Norris leads perfect 10s; Sainz sorrow
Norris produced one of the most dominant performances of the season at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez last weekend, with his lap for pole position 0.262 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and a massive 0.588s faster than Piastri in eighth.
He went on to win by more than 30 seconds the following day as Piastri recovered to fifth.
Drivers regularly refer to a delta time on their dashboard during qualifying sessions, allowing them to compare in real time how their current lap compares to a previous effort.
However, Norris has revealed that he has been operating without a delta since he won in Monaco earlier this season.
This, he claims, allows him to focus purely on the act of driving the lap itself rather than being distracted by how it compares to a previous one in terms of time.
Appearing in a press conference in Mexico, he told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “I’ve not had it since Monaco. I’ve never used the delta since in qualifying.
“So I don’t know. Who knows if it would have helped me or made me worse?
“I think the thing when I don’t have it is I push no matter what – no matter how the start of the lap was, no matter how any corner was.
“I guess it’s because you have no reference of the overall lap time, you just always try and maximise every corner to the maximum.
“Otherwise, sometimes I just stare at it too much and that’s never the best thing.
“It’s just nice because normally when it goes well, it’s a pleasant surprise to see the lap time pop up when it’s as good as this one.”
More on Lando Norris and McLaren from PlanetF1.com
Including the Monaco Grand Prix, Norris has claimed four pole positions since dropping his delta time in qualifying.
His only other pole during the F1 2025 season occurred at the season opener in Australia in March.
The move to remove the delta time in qualifying is the latest tweak Norris has made to suit the MCL39 car more to his own requirements over the course of the season.
As revealed during pre-season testing by PlanetF1.com, McLaren’s decision to move the steering arm of its suspension further forward for 2025 initially left Norris lacking the feel for the front of the car he enjoyed in 2024.
Norris received an upgrade to the suspension at the Canadian Grand Prix in June, allowing him to access more of the car’s potential.
Piastri, meanwhile, opted to stick with the original specification of the front suspension, which he felt was better suited to his own driving style.
Norris also revealed in April that he had given up alcohol in a bid to boost his hopes of winning the F1 2025 title.
Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock
Read next: George Russell confirms ‘specific’ contract clause in fresh Max Verstappen to Mercedes blow
