F1 News: Lando Norris’ Damning Verdict Of Japanese GP - ‘Fighting A Losing Battle’

Lando Norris reflects on his fifth-place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix.

McLaren driver Lando Norris walks through the paddock area to a media interview at Circuit of / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

Lando Norris expressed his frustration after a challenging race at the Japanese GP, where he ended up in fifth place after starting in third.

Key Takeaways:

• Norris felt disadvantaged compared to Ferrari and Red Bull, highlighting a significant performance gap.
• His early pit stop and the strategic decision to cover George Russell, instead of aiming for a better position, were points of contention.
• Despite the setbacks, Norris acknowledged that securing fifth place was the maximum achievable under the circumstances.

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; McLaren F1 Team driver Lando Norris of Great Britain during / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

McLaren driver Lando Norris shared his candid thoughts with Sky Sports F1 following a taxing race at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he finished a commendable fifth. The British driver, who started the race in an optimistic third position, encountered an uphill battle against the dominant forces of Ferrari and Red Bull, which ultimately saw him conceding ground. He commented:

"It was a tough race. Compared to the Ferraris, just not enough. I think everything fell back in line in terms of Red Bull, Ferrari and us.

"It's a shame. It doesn't feel great when you start third and go backwards. It feels like you are fighting a losing battle against these guys because they can just do a lot more. They can go longer and extend and have a bigger tyre delta. It's hard to fight."

McLaren driver Lando Norris, right, speaks to Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen after the / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

Norris' reflections on the race were particularly insightful. He pointed out the decision to pit earlier than anticipated, aligning McLaren's strategy with Ferrari's, a move that he felt might not have been necessary. He continued:

"We gave it a good shot and did what we could. We got the maximum points apart from the top two teams, which was all we could do.

"Charles did a good job to go that far on one set of tyres. It surprised me we boxed as early as we did because that put is in line with what Ferrari did.

"We covered George, which I think we didn't need to do. This is something we will discuss after in the briefing. Maybe a discussion, if we could have done a better job for P4 but it's always difficult to make those decisions at the time, so tough.

"Ferrari is clearly ahead. They have been ahead all year. They are still ahead. We've not changed anything all year, so there's no reason we should be ahead."