McLaren

Norris UNHAPPY over victory at Brazilian Grand Prix

Lando Norris claimed his first ever sprint race victory in Brazil

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 3 November 2024 14:57

Lando Norris has suggested that he won't take any pride from a crucial victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Brit managed to claim victory in Saturday's sprint race, in a boost to his championship chances against Dutch superstar Max Verstappen.

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Verstappen had previously been given a five-place grid penalty for Sunday's main race, where he will now start 17th, giving Norris hope that he could close what was a 47-point gap between the pair heading into the Brazilian GP weekend.

Three-time world champion Verstappen was also given a five-second penalty in the aftermath of the sprint race, dropping him down to fourth and making Norris' sprint race victory even more fruitful for the Brit.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen are competing for the world championship

McLaren's team orders

Norris' first ever sprint race victory was helped massively by his young Australian team-mate Oscar Piastri, who looked like he had the pace to lead the race from start to finish.

However, McLaren decided to switch the two drivers round, helping Norris' championship chances without harming their one-two status for the constructors' championship fight.

Earlier in the season at the Hungarian GP, the same thing happened but the opposite way round, with Norris giving up a victory for Piastri despite some heated team radio arguments.

After the Brazilian GP sprint race, Norris revealed he didn't like the way in which he won the race, having not been able to overtake Piastri on track following the Australian's brilliant sprint qualifying pole.

"You can never plan exactly what lap, what time, what corner, it’s impossible to plan these things to perfection," Norris said in his post-race interview.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri share a good relationship

"We talk about different times, the way we can manage things to do and the main thing we want to do is not put anyone at risk, myself or Oscar. We want to help each other out, so we executed it in the end exactly how we wanted to.

"Of course I was under pressure, they were within DRS almost every lap. Max was a lot quicker at the end of the race. Max was a lot quicker at the end of the race, so my confidence was not high towards the middle-end part of the race.

"But that’s life. Oscar drove well and he deserved the win today. I’m not proud of winning a Sprint race or any race like this, so I thank Oscar and the team. But it’s our objective, it’s what we have to work towards as a team. We get the points in the constructors’ and I get the points in the drivers’, that’s our target."

Red Bull Max Verstappen FIA Lando Norris Brazilian Grand Prix