Lando Norris reveals Carlos Sainz 'MISTAKE' during Ferrari battle

Lando Norris, McLaren, Abu Dhabi, 2022 — Photo: © LAT Images

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Norris reveals Sainz 'MISTAKE' during Ferrari battle

Norris got the better of Sainz during Saturday's sprint race

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Sunday 22 October 2023 16:57

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Lando Norris has admitted that he only managed to overtake Carlos Sainz in Saturday's sprint race after a mistake from the Ferrari star.

The Briton lined up in P4 and finished in P4 for the sprint in Austin, but it was not as plain sailing as the results show.

Having fallen behind Sainz at the start of the race, with the Ferrari driver being the only driver on the grid to start with the soft tyre, Norris eventually managed to reclaim his fourth spot as he narrowly missed out on a podium finish.

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The McLaren also had Sainz's team-mate, Charles Leclerc, in his sights as Norris finished less than a second behind the Monegasque.

Lando Norris narrowly missed out on a podium finish during Saturdays' sprint race

The McLaren was able to get past Carlos Sainz, the only driver to opt for soft tyres

But Charles Leclerc managed to keep hold off P3 come the chequered flag

Norris: I needed more time to catch Leclerc

And although the 23-year-old believes that he he ran out of time to snatch the final podium spot off Leclerc, he believes the signs are positive for Sunday's race.

“Yes, they were stronger than us," he told Sky Sports Italy about McLaren's battle with Ferrari.

"I only managed to overtake Carlos because he made a mistake. I was fast on the last part but didn’t have enough time to overtake Charles."

“[I] just struggled to get past," he said. "One more lap I would have had Charles and been on the podium again. Yeah, just a near-miss but, otherwise, good signs.”

But Norris is in no doubt as to what he expects from Max Verstappen on Sunday

And despite Max Verstappen starting the race down in P6, Norris is under no illusion as to what he expects from the three-time world champion come lights out.

"I think Max will win tomorrow, even if he’s starting P6," he added. "We can still play our cards tomorrow and do a great race.”