F1 News: Lando Norris Reveals What Ruined His Race After Belgian Grand Prix Disappointment

Alex Harrington | Jul 28, 2024

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; McLaren driver Lando Norris (GBR) in the pit lane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Lando Norris, the McLaren race winner, faced a challenging campaign at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, where a series of issues that eventually saw him finish in sixth place despite starting in a promising fourth position. Once again disappointed in his own performance, the young Briton explained what went wrong for him.

At the start of the race, aiming to avoid collision at the notorious Turn 1 of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Norris admitted to being overly cautious.

"I just didn't want to get taken out in Turn 1, so I left the gap and just misjudged the exit a little bit," he explained. This misjudgment caused him to lose momentum and subsequently three places, falling from fourth to seventh in just the opening sequence.

As the race unfolded, overtaking opportunities were scarce for the Papaya driver, contributing further to his frustration.

"It was just impossible to overtake. The overtaking sucked today, and I think there were very few overtakes actually done on the track but just in the pit stops," he said. Though the McLaren car showed hefty performance, proven by his teammate Oscar Piastri's podium finish, Norris felt hindered, unable to leverage its performance fully.

"The car was quick. I just don’t feel I could have maximised that," he reflected.

"Some of my starts have not been great. I've lost a good amount of points off the line and now turn one again, easily a podium or even more. There isn't one reason. I was just trying a bit too hard and paying a price for that," he admitted.

The race itself proved itself to be a ballet of pit stops and tire management, with drivers like George Russell and Lewis Hamilton showcasing the importance of getting it right. Russell ultimately secured the victory, followed closely by Hamilton, with Piastri completing the podium—a bittersweet result for McLaren, which saw one driver on the podium and another ruefully reflecting on what might have been.