McLaren driver Lando Norris provided a candid assessment of his performance in the recent Formula 1 sprint race, offering a mix of excitement, self-criticism, and optimism for the future.
The British driver engaged in a thrilling battle early battle with Max Verstappen as he sent it at turn 3, taking the lead. He had DRS on the run to turn 4 but left the inside open for the Dutchman, and the Red Bull driver sent it big time to regain the lead.
It allowed Oscar Piastri to get a run, taking P2 from his teammate as he swept around the outside into turn 6.
The Miami Grand Prix winner was kicking himself after his P3 finish.
“It was a good battle. I knew there were not going to be too many opportunities to try and do it. So, yeah, I had to go for a bit of a move into Turn 3, and then I was just pretty stupid into Turn 4 and left the door open.”
Norris didn’t shy away from self-criticism. “I needed to do a better job and just did something pretty stupid and silly which was not very smart of me.”
Despite this, he maintained a positive outlook on the team’s overall performance as they finished 2nd and 3rd.
“I think we got a good amount of points. It could have been a lot worse for a team. It was a good result and the result we wanted.”
Looking ahead, Norris expressed confidence in the team’s form but recognised the challenge posed by Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
“It’s clear that Max is still just a bit ahead of us. Unless he doesn’t make any mistakes, he’s kind of got it for the time being,” Norris observed.
He emphasised the need for flawless execution.
“We just need to execute what we’re doing and do what we have been doing, which is a good job. But we need a little bit more, and we’re going to try and find that.”
When questioned about what he needs to do to challenge Verstappen more regularly, Norris said some of his own errors have hampered him.
“There’s nothing in particular. I’m just, yeah, I mean, I’m not feeling great. And still, there’s little opportunities that I feel like I just miss out on.”
“In hindsight, I think, well, how stupid was I to do some of the things that I’ve done? But at the same time, I’m doing the best I can on all the tracks.”
While pleased with the team’s progress, he remains focused on personal improvement.
“I know I’ve done things that aren’t good enough and things that aren’t at the level that they need to be. I’m doing my best to improve on them. And that’s all I can do for now.”
