Lando Norris's Heartbreaking Critique of His Spanish GP Performance Will Shock You

The Spanish Grand Prix proved to be a bittersweet race for McLaren's Lando Norris. Despite having what he described as the 'quickest car', the British driver found himself thwarted at the start, losing precious positions that ultimately cost him the victory.

A Promising Start Derailed

Norris started the weekend on a high, managing to outpace Max Verstappen to secure pole position. However, his advantage was short-lived. As the lights went out, Verstappen quickly drew alongside Norris, and Mercedes’ George Russell capitalized, overtaking both drivers by the first corner.

The Red Bull ace, Verstappen, wasted no time in gaining the lead, overtaking Russell on the third lap and eventually building a solid gap. Meanwhile, Norris found himself unexpectedly stuck behind Russell for most of the first stint. Despite showing great resilience and maturity, Norris could not make headway initially, leaving him frustrated and unable to deploy McLaren’s true racing potential.

Alternative Strategy Pays Off - But Just Short

Recognizing the setback, McLaren opted for an alternative strategic plan, extending Norris' race stints to capitalize on fresher rubber. This decision proved wise as Norris skillfully climbed back up the grid, reclaiming second place by overtaking both Mercedes drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Russell. However, despite this remarkable comeback, he finished a mere 2.2 seconds behind Verstappen.

In his own words, Norris reflected, “The race, not good enough, simply because we should have won today. I think to answer the question, Max, I think we had the quickest car.” He continued, “But I just lost it at the start, you know, and then I couldn’t get past George for the first stint. So I think we were quite easily the best car out there today.”

The Moment That Cost Everything

Norris didn’t mince words when he admitted where it all went wrong: the start. He explained that his reaction time to the lights was on par with Verstappen, but he lost out during the second phase. This allowed Verstappen to gain the crucial inside line. However, he also acknowledged that the elongated run to the first corner and the slipstream effect meant that George Russell would have led regardless of his start.

“My initial launch, I think, was better than Max,” Norris noted. “The second phase, the drive out, was not as good. Max went alongside me, and if George wasn’t there, I think I still could have maintained first around Turn 1. But George had a run on both of us, so even if my start had been one or two meters better, the slipstream from the Mercedes wouldn’t have let me hold the lead.”

Lessons from the Battle

Although he successfully passed Russell later in the race, the skirmish cost Norris valuable time against Verstappen. “It was a good battle,” he recalled. “It cost me a little lap time and hurt my gap to Max in the end, but yeah, it was pleasant.”

Despite the disappointment, Norris exhibited sportsmanship and attributed the loss to his initial launch rather than a lack of effort or strategy from his team. Every other aspect of the race was executed flawlessly, as he mentioned, “As a team, we did the perfect strategy and I was very happy with what we did. But the one part of the start, the 1%, I will swear, wasn’t good enough.”

Reflection on Missed Opportunities

Norris also drew parallels with the previous round in Canada, where McLaren missed an opportunity to win. However, he admitted that the Spanish GP bugged him more because the loss stemmed from his mistake. “For sure, because that was more a decision, an incorrect decision, or a lack of decision-making,” he said when comparing the two races. “But today we were the quickest, we had the best car out there and I didn’t maximize it.”

In conclusion, while the Spanish GP left Norris contemplating what could have been, his performance showcased both the capabilities of McLaren and his own potential. The lessons learned from this race will undoubtedly drive him to refine his skills even further, making the next win only a matter of time.