Lando Norris frustrated after a bad start: “We should have won easily”
After a perfect pole position on Saturday, Lando Norris was unable to follow it up on Sunday in Spain, and had to settle for second place behind Max Verstappen. The Brit isn't being too kind to himself.
It is a rather tough Lando Norris that we discover in the post-race press conference. We can understand him: the British driver had all the cards in hand, with a very performing car and a perfect pole position on Saturday. But his problem is still Max Verstappen, and it is indeed him who stepped on the top step of the podium this Sunday in Spain. According to him, it was due to a bad start.
« The race (was) not good enough, simply because we should have won today. I think we had the fastest car. But I lost at the start, and I couldn’t overtake George in the first relay », he explained to journalists. « So, I think we easily had the best car today. I simply didn’t do a good enough job at the start and it cost me everything. From turn 2, it was 10 out of 10, I don’t think I could have done much more. As a team, we had the perfect strategy and I was very happy with what we did. But, yes, the start wasn’t good enough. »
« Today, we were the fastest, we had the best car. I didn’t maximize that, the start is on me and I have to do what I’m told and execute that. And without that, or with a good start, we should have easily won », he added, definitively disappointed with his performance.
McLaren is aiming for the world championship.
However, the British driver thinks he made a better start than Max Verstappen. But what happened? The answer is George Russell. The second phase, acceleration, was not as good. “If George had not been there, I think I could have stayed ahead around turn 1. But George had good speed on both of us, so even if my start had been a meter or two better, which was probably all I could do, the long way to turn 1, the Mercedes’ slipstream on Max and me was stronger than what I could have done. “I think George would have led no matter what, even if my start had been two meters better,” he relativized.
Given its overall performance and the development of McLaren, Lando Norris believes they should aim for the world championship this year.
« I should have done better today. We should have gained points on Max. Potentially, there was a chance to beat him in Canada. So, two races where I finished second and he won. But Max needs to stop winning so that we can catch up. Even though I’m in second place in the championship, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care if I’m second or tenth. It’s more about the gap with Max. And he keeps increasing it at the moment. And it’s something we can’t afford to let happen at this stage of the season.
»
All eyes on Austria
Next step: Austria, where things started to turn around for McLaren last year. With a car as performing, Lando Norris hopes to seize the opportunity.
« I am confident every weekend now, the car is running extremely well. We are always there, within a few tenths of the pole position, and that’s all we can ask for. I think we need to bring something more to make our life a little easier, but it’s tight », the McLaren driver added.
He estimates that there are four teams that can easily compete for poles and potential victories. And the Austrian track is still very different from the Spanish one. At high speed, I think we have some work to do compared to Red Bull. They definitely seem a bit better in fast corners than us. So potentially, we are lacking a bit in this area, but the rest is solid. It is one of my best circuits in terms of personal competitiveness and my most successful tracks », he rejoices. See you next weekend to find out if the Briton will manage to secure his second victory in F1.
