Lando Norris believes he and McLaren can win a grand prix this season after a surprisingly strong performance at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Lando Norris remains confident in his and McLaren’s ability to secure a grand prix victory this season, despite the impressive performance displayed by Max Verstappen and Red Bull at the beginning of the year.
The 24-year-old put on an impressive performance at the Chinese Grand Prix, starting from fourth on the grid and making the most of the safety car situations to secure his eighth second-place finish of his career, crossing the finish line between Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s Red Bulls.
It came as a bit of a shock, as McLaren didn’t have high hopes going into the weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit, believing that the track’s slow-speed corners would favor their competitors – or so they thought.
Today has been an exceptional day,” expressed the McLaren driver to Sky Sports F1 following the race, emphasizing the formidable partnership between Verstappen and Red Bull.
“Every time I come in behind Max [Verstappen], it feels like a victory, making today even more special. I am genuinely astonished and delighted for myself and the entire team.”
It certainly surpassed our expectations, but many factors worked in our favor – I managed to avoid any errors in Turn 1 this time, allowing me to have clear air and take control of my own race. This made a significant impact on today’s outcome.
Norris, with an additional seven third-place finishes under his belt, holds the unfortunate distinction of being the Formula 1 driver who has achieved the most podiums without securing a grand prix victory this year.
Norris is on the verge of being labeled as ‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride’ due to his near misses in securing a grand prix victory.
When questioned about his feelings towards this narrative and if he believed he deserved a win, Norris simply stated, “I feel like it, but that’s Formula 1.”
The British driver continued to explain, expressing his belief in both his own and his team’s capacity to secure a victory this season, even though it’s proving to be quite challenging.
He added, “Max [Verstappen] is performing well, and Red Bull is excelling. I have no complaints about them, and I can’t be too upset about it. However, I believe I am extracting a lot from the car, particularly on race days.”
Therefore, I must find contentment in the work I am currently engaged in. Moreover, I believe that the day I have been anticipating is approaching. Specifically, I believe it will happen this year.
I am not excessively self-assured when I say this, but I genuinely believe that we have the potential to achieve victory within this year. However, I acknowledge that it will not be an easy feat. We have a substantial amount of tasks ahead of us, but we are diligently putting in the effort to accomplish them.
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