Lando Norris has revealed his frustration at losing ground to Max Verstappen in the race for the Formula 1 drivers’ title after failing to convert pole into victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Briton also claimed that McLaren was “the quickest car” on track at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya having tracked Red Bull’s Verstappen to a gap of 2.2 seconds by the end of the 66-lap race.
Norris had taken pole with a blistering lap on Saturday to pip the three-time champion, but after getting away slower than Verstappen, he was forced to close the space to the inside.
That allowed Mercedes’ George Russell to pounce, aided by a double dose of slipstream, and take the lead around the outside into the first corner.
While Verstappen headed Norris out of the opening turns and made light work of Russell at the start of lap three, Norris would spend the first stint behind the Mercedes and only get by when making the most of fresher tyres having pitted at the end of an extended soft tyre run.
Addressing the critical opening to the race, Norris told Sky Sports F1: “It really wasn’t like it was a bad start. It was like two meters, Max just got there and I couldn’t cover him. And that was it. Also from George’s side, George has such a good slipstream.
“The cars are getting almost more and more draggy in some ways because you’re having more and more downforce but in an efficient way. George has slipstreamed past both of us. Even if you took me out of it, George still would have got ahead of Max.
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, arrives on the podium
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“That’s the crazy part of it all. I did what I could. It wasn’t the best start. I don’t think it was a bad start.”
Norris’ consistent podium form has seen him take over second in the drivers’ standings, his highest career footing, yet his response to the feat underlined the annoyance that he allowed Verstappen to eke his gap out.
“I don’t care what position it is. It’s the gap to first, which I care about and that was bigger today. So I’m frustrated, you know, because I didn’t just lose a race to someone. I just lost it to Max and he’s the leader of the championship.”
Despite Verstappen’s victory, Norris’ pace across the previous two months has made clear the step in performance made by McLaren, asked if the car was now the fastest on the grid, he replied: “Today, yes. Yesterday, no. Yesterday, 100%, the Red Bull was quicker. I…
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