Lando Norris of McLaren took a “tough” but sensational victory to win the season-opening F1 Australian GP from pole position. Under changing conditions, he had to defend his lead from the charging Max Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri.
A tough race but a good start to the year
The weather in Melbourne was unpredictable and combined with last year’s championship rival Max Verstappen close behind, Norris felt a bit stressed and even made a mistake. However, the Briton is jubilant about securing the win in the season-opening race.
“It was amazing [to win], thank you. A tough race, especially with Max [Verstappen] behind me. I was pushing.“
“The last two laps were a little bit stressful: I’m not going to lie. But an amazing way to start the year. A tough one because we went off, [and] made some big mistakes. I went through the gravel, a lot of damage.”
“Just tricky conditions, but these are the ones that are enjoyable, fun, and unpredictable. This time, we got it right and ended up on top. So, I’m very happy.”
The lessons from last year
Staying composed under pressure is paramount, especially if you are leading the race. It was tough, but Norris managed to stay calm despite the delayed start and the pressure from Verstappen and Piastri. Norris said McLaren has learned their lesson from last year’s Canadian and British Grands Prix.
“We got it wrong a lot last year, so I guess we learned from our mistakes. We lost out on Silverstone and Canada through a race like this. We’ve learned from our mistakes.
“I think it’s still only Round 1 of 24, but dealing with the pressure, dealing with Max, dealing with Oscar behind me — I was pushing the whole way through. I could relax inside, but I wasn’t relaxing from how much I was pushing.
“[It was] a tough one, so to not make too many mistakes, not to have a mistake that cost me anything. I guess I can take a little bit of credit for that.
“[It’s] a tough, challenging race, but for McLaren, I need to give a big thanks because they’ve given me an amazing car, so I have to start with them.“
Just drive and stay calm under pressure
Pressure continues to mount nearing the race’s end with Norris’ race engineer Will Joseph telling him “Don’t over-push it.” Norris kept it simple by saying “just drive” despite the tough conditions.
“I don’t know, just drive, I guess. Max was quick. I knew I had a good pace, but I made one mistake in Turn 6, and he got within the DRS.
“The DRS around here is probably [worth] like a second or something. That allowed him to keep staying within that second and have a couple of little looks.
“I had to check my mirror a few more times than I would have liked, but I stayed calm, kept it together, and listened to Will, so that’s the most important thing.“
Starting the year on a positive note
Norris enjoyed a good weekend from FP1 and all the way to the main race. The 25-year-old stated it was not often the team put a weekend together like this under immense pressure.
“My weekend’s been amazing. From the get-go — from FP1, FP2, FP3, quali, and now the race. It’s not easy to put a weekend together like this, especially when I’ve got a lot of pressure from Max and Oscar because they’re hungry, competitive, and want it just as badly.
“[It is] stressful, but I know what I’m capable of. I know what I can do. But like you said, it’s just Round 1, so we need to go and do it again next weekend and continue from there. [Still] a long season ahead — we just have to keep our heads down and keep pushing.“
