Lando Norris sets personal end-of-season Ferrari target

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Norris sets personal end-of-season Ferrari target

McLaren driver is just one point ahead of Charles Leclerc

Ian Parkes

Friday 3 December 2021 14:00

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Lando Norris has set a personal target of finishing ahead of Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at the end of the season.

Following the Russian Grand Prix, Norris was still in with a chance of finishing third in the drivers' standings as he sat fourth at that stage just 12 points behind Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.

But over the past five races, the season for McLaren and Norris has unravelled as the British driver has claimed just 14 points.

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After holding a 35-point advantage over Leclerc after the race at the Sochi Autodrom and a 25.5-point cushion to Sainz, those gaps have diminished to just one point and 7.5 respectively.

"There's a little bit of pressure but I'll do my best," said Norris ahead of the final two races of the campaign in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

"We were very unlucky in [the last race in] Qatar. But for the tyre failure, we should have scored more points than them and created a bit more of a gap.

"We've just been a bit unlucky lately, and Brazil just didn't go our way. We probably should have scored more points there as well.

"I'm confident we can still end the season strong. My aim now is to be ahead of them in the constructors' if we can, and personally to be ahead of them in the drivers' by the end of the year."

Norris ready to make waves at Red Sea track

The constructors' target now appears a tall order as McLaren has fallen 39.5-points adrift of Ferrari in the standings after holding a 17.5-point advantage after Russia.

Norris at least feels the new, high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit will play to the strengths of both himself and his car.

Asked as to whether he was confident, Norris replied: "Yes, I would say so. We have to be. There's no point coming in and thinking we're going to have an awful weekend.

"Even if we do [think that], it's better we come in positive and confident.

"We've some ground to make up but we just need to have a good end to the season anyway, no matter where we finish in the championship at the end of the year.

"But I'm confident, and confident personally as well that it's a track that will suit me and a bit of my driving style, so I'm looking forward to it."