F1 champion Lando Norris takes down journalist in tense exchange: 'Did you even watch the race?'

Lando Norris was visibly frustrated as he took an F1 journalist to task in the media pen following Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit.

The British defending world champion had looked on course for a convincing victory as he led the race after qualifying on pole on Saturday.

But then everything went wrong in a split second when Lance Stroll retired his Aston Martin, bringing out a virtual safety car on Lap 15 of 57.

McLaren star Norris had agonisingly just passed the pit lane entry, but his nearest pursuers Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen were both able to take cheap pit stops which would completely alter the outcome of the race.

Eventually Norris would finish third on a track where overtaking was virtually impossible, as Antonelli led home Verstappen to move closer to a first world title.

READ MORE: Verstappen launches extraordinary rant after Hamilton incident

Norris frustrated by post-race question

Afterwards Norris appeared irritated when he was asked by a journalist in the media pen if he could have done anything differently during the VSC neutralisation.

He responded: “What did it look like, did you watch the race?”

Even when the reporter insisted he had, Norris was quick to shut him down as he responded: “No, you did not. You could not have watched the race.”

When the journalist mentioned that an alternative pit strategy might have been unrealistic, Norris summed it up simply, explaining: “I’d already passed the pit entrance. I couldn’t do anything - it's just a stupid rule.”

'There was no fight, you cannot overtake here'

When questioned about his attempts to get past Verstappen for second place late in the race, Norris was brutally honest about the challenges this new circuit presented.

“There was no fight - you cannot overtake here, so pretty boring.”

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton title dream OVER after Spanish Grand Prix catastrophe

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton concedes F1 title after Spanish Grand Prix disaster

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