Norris shakes off "empty" feeling

Lando Norris has revealed his relief at shaking off his "empty" feeling of missing out on points after ending a tough start to the new F1 season.

The McLaren driver was unable to mount a charge on the top 10 in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix before grinding out what seemed an unlikely points finish in Saudi Arabia.

But the Woking-based team turned out a much-improved performance to finish fifth and sixth in Australia with Norris heading home team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in front of a packed Albert Park crowd.

The result was a small morale boost for the team after it entered the year hoping to be a part of the battle for race wins alongside Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes.

Australia returned to the F1 calendar last weekend for the first time since 2019 having missed out on staging a race due to the global Covid-19 pandemic and was welcomed by a record crowd in Melbourne.

“The atmosphere obviously was great," said Norris.

"I guess as a driver you always enjoy it a little bit more when you’re closer to the front. You’re fighting for the points, you feel like you’re bringing something back to the team.

“When you don’t have any points, it feels like you’re just empty and you’ve missed out. When you do get points, it’s a lot more rewarding for myself and for the team.”

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