Lando Norris entered the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with a three-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri within the Drivers’ Championship.
However a crash in Q3 on Saturday put Norris on the again foot, and the McLaren driver rolled off the road tenth when the lights went out on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Norris began on the laborious tire — versus the remainder of the highest ten who all started on the medium compound — and went lengthy, selecting up a number of locations on his elongated stint. He inherited the lead on Lap 30 after the leaders all made their pit stops, however ultimately settled for a fourth-place end, simply over a second behind third-place finisher Charles Leclerc.
It was one other robust restoration drive from the McLaren driver, nevertheless it was not sufficient to carry onto his lead within the Drivers’ Championship. With Piastri taking the win forward of Max Verstappen, Norris’ teammate now tops the desk, with a ten-point benefit.
“That was a troublesome one,” admitted Norris when talking with the official F1 channel. “This observe is hard, this temperature is hard and it’s flat out. There’s no saving on the tires right here, it’s flat out from begin to end. I used to be struggling – not when it comes to bodily, however simply when it comes to having sufficient of a bonus over the remaining to come back again by way of as a lot as I’d have needed.
“It could have been good to get Charles and have a little bit podium and I’d drink all of the champagne proper now as a result of I’d love that – or the apple juice can be even higher. I dream of that on the minute.
“However I feel it was the most effective that we might obtain immediately. Clearly, we’re not head and shoulders above the remaining.”
Norris then admitted that not solely was he looking forward to a break, because the grid has per week off earlier than the Miami Grand Prix, however that he makes life powerful for himself typically.
“As Oscar confirmed, it’s not a simple race. Max most likely would have received if he hadn’t had the penalty. We’ve acquired these sorts of points nonetheless. It’s not straightforward races, which simply signifies that after I make errors like yesterday, like another races as a result of I’m simply not getting as a lot as I must, I make my life fairly powerful like immediately,” added Norris.
“I’m nonetheless comfortable. I’m proud of my comeback. It’s the most effective that I might obtain and now I’m wanting ahead to a break.”
As for the place he wants to enhance, Norris pointed to Saturdays. As we noticed on Saturday on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, that further danger contained in the automobile can result in catastrophe, particularly at a observe that punishes errors just like the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
“It’s my Quali, it’s my Saturdays which aren’t adequate on the minute, my one-lap tempo. Like I’ve stated earlier than, it’s as a result of I’m struggling a little bit bit with the automobile – Saturday was not the automobile, it was simply me making an attempt to take too many dangers, so I’ve simply acquired to peg it again,” continued Norris.
“Clearly, I’ve acquired the tempo and it’s all in there. It’s simply typically I attempt to ask for a bit an excessive amount of and typically I get a bit too longing for a little bit bit extra and need to put probably the most good lap collectively and I simply want to relax out a little bit bit.”
Now Norris will get to move again to Miami, the place he secured his first Grand Prix victory a yr in the past. The circuit will look a little bit totally different than it did in 2024, as there shall be a McLaren Grandstand, a bit of followers sitting collectively to honor the group, and that maiden Grand Prix victory.
Will that assist to “relax” Norris a bit? We’ll discover out in a couple of weeks.
