Herbert: Lando Norris will be 2025 Formula 1 World Champion

After what he saw at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this past weekend, Johnny Herbert believes Lando Norris’ Mexico City Grand Prix win was a “real statement of intent,” declaring the McLaren driver has finally reached the level required to become Formula 1 World Champion.

Herbert, speaking to AdventureGamers, said Norris’ flawless start and calm control throughout the race marked a new level of maturity: “The statement that said to me that he’s on a different level now. He felt so relaxed over the whole weekend. That is something we haven't probably heard before, and we probably haven't seen before.

"His start was flawless. It’s the best start we’ve ever seen Lando do. It’s been an area where he’s really struggled, but he went on to totally control the race. That was a real statement for what might come for the rest of the championship," added the Briton.

The Grand Prix winner was bemused by the crowd reaction towards Norris at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez: “I don’t understand the booing. For some reason in the modern world of Formula 1 crowds, that sort of thing now goes on. But he dealt with it very well. Look at what Max does; he just bats it all away. Nothing matters to Max.”

Herbert also criticised the stewards for their first-lap decisions: “Anything that tends to happen on the first corner, the first lap, they turn a blind eye because the tyres are cold. I don’t agree with it. They’re the very best in the world, and as we saw in Mexico, they all took the mickey. They all know the first lap is almost a free-for-all. I don’t think it should be allowed. It’s part of the race.”

Herbert noted that while Norris looked perfectly at home with his McLaren, both Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen struggled to find balance: “Lando was very happy in Mexico. It seemed to be the case from the early few laps. Oscar wasn’t and struggled straight away,” he said.

“Max didn’t quite feel the car either, and he didn’t have an explanation for it.” The Briton expects the title fight to continue shifting: “There’s still going to be some difficult times for both Lando and Oscar. It’s going to swing both ways. Oscar is going to have to analyse what’s going on in Lando’s data and try and use some of that, but if you overanalyse, you complicate things.

Herbert believes Norris has put his early-season doubts behind him: “I’ve never seen him so relaxed. That’s going to give him way more speed and opportunity to produce the goods. If he has sorted out his starts as he showed in Mexico, he’s put himself in a very good place. That one little moment could be the game changer.”

The F1 and Le Mans winner cautioned McLaren against interfering in the battle between their drivers: “They should not be involved. It should be down to the best driver being able to dig the deepest. The team should not dictate the way the championship goes. It needs to go in its purest natural form. I want to be wowed by both of them.”

Looking ahead, Herbert said: “If it rains in Brazil, I might sway towards Max. That was when Max showed his skill in the wet. But it could also be a weekend that relaunches Oscar’s confidence. Vegas will be very good for both McLaren and Red Bull, and in Abu Dhabi we know Max won’t take any prisoners.”

Herbert concluded with a clear prediction: “Lando Norris will be World Champion. He has just suddenly moved to the level that he needs to. He has grown within the team and is starting to shine very brightly. Everything is clicking at exactly the right moment.”