**Isack Hadjar Slams Lando Norris During FP3 at 2025 Mexican GP**
Visa Cash App Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar expressed his frustration with McLaren’s Lando Norris during the FP3 session at the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix. The incident occurred when Norris failed to yield space to Hadjar during a crucial hotlap.
Coming into the Mexican GP, Hadjar had endured a challenging run, failing to score points in the previous two races in the United States and Singapore. With the 2025 season winding down, the French-Algerian driver is eager to impress, especially as he is in contention for a promotion to the senior Red Bull team in 2026. The stakes are high for the young driver, making every session crucial.
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez hosted the fifth-to-last race of the season. During the final practice session, approximately 20 minutes in, Hadjar launched a qualifying simulation on a fresh set of soft tires. As he approached the first corner in the stadium section—a notoriously slow and tight segment of the track—Hadjar encountered Norris positioned on the apex.
Forced to take a wider line, Hadjar’s hotlap was compromised by the obstruction. Frustrated, Hadjar did not hold back over the team radio, calling Norris “an idiot” for not providing sufficient space. “Mate, the McLaren was just in the middle of the track. Idiot!” he exclaimed.
Norris, meanwhile, was on a preparation lap ahead of starting his own flying lap shortly after Hadjar completed his. The nature of the tight corners in the stadium section makes it particularly difficult for drivers to give way without risking their own lap times. Norris would have had to leave the track’s racing line to yield, potentially ruining the start of his hotlap.
During Friday’s practice, Norris also discussed some of the challenges he faced with the McLaren MCL39. The team had enlisted Pato O’Ward to participate in the FP1 rookie session, with Norris taking over for FP2, where he impressively finished fourth, behind only Max Verstappen who led the timing sheets.
“It’s just holding us back a bit,” Norris commented after FP2. “Not that it was a bad day, but normally we’re very good on a Friday and everyone catches up on a Saturday. We’re already a bit behind, so we definitely have some work to do tonight. Single-lap stuff we are struggling with at the minute. We are working hard, trying everything we can, so we’ll see what we can do and find.”
Despite the earlier struggles, Norris managed to top the FP3 session heading into qualifying, signalling a promising start to the weekend for the McLaren driver.
The incident between Hadjar and Norris adds another layer of tension as the drivers battle for position not only on track but also within their respective teams ahead of one of the most critical stretches of the season.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-mclaren-driver-lando-norris-branded-idiot-isack-hadjar