Lando Norris slams 'CARELESS' F1 rival after Abu Dhabi GP flashpoint

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Norris slams 'CARELESS' F1 rival after Abu Dhabi GP flashpoint

The incident came out of nowhere in an otherwise dull race under the lights

Joe Ellis

Sunday 26 November 2023 23:27

Lando Norris admitted that he was not a fan of Sergio Perez's bold overtaking move which led to contact between the two in the Abu Dhabi GP.

The Red Bull man was hunting Norris down in his bid for a spot on the podium but as he tried to go through on the inside of turn six, he missed the apex and hit the papaya McLaren.

Norris skipped over the chicane and kept what was fourth at the time but lost it a lap later at the same place.

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Perez was given a five-second penalty as a result which saw him drop from second over the line to fourth.

Sergio Perez and Lando Norris' incident turned out to be crucial for the final result

Lando Norris had already lost out to George Russell due to a slow pit-stop

Norris: I tried to let him go

“I tried to let the guy go and he crashed into me, I don’t know what he was doing, bit careless to be honest," Norris said to Sky Sports after the race. "I just expected a little bit more in terms of pace today. But we didn’t have it, so a little bit of a shame.

"It wasn’t like they were much quicker, a tenth a lap, two-tenths a lap and that was enough for them to stay ahead. I think we could have done a lot more today, we lost out a little bit in the pit stop, so could have been ahead of George possibly.

"But that wouldn’t have really changed too much. We did what we needed to do as a team, that was the most important thing."

Red Bull McLaren Lando Norris George Russell Sergio Perez Abu Dhabi GP