Lando Norris pinpoints the moment that ruined his race at Belgian GP

Lando Norris admitted that one moment hampered his prospects of fighting for victory at Spa-Francorchamps.

Lando Norris pinpoints the moment that ruined his race at Belgian GP

Lando Norris (via IMAGO)

McLaren during Belgian GP practice sessions seemed to be the top dominator for Sunday’s race. However, the tables turned and the oranges qualified fifth and sixth on Saturday. Rival Max Verstappen secured pole, however due to tenth-place grid penalty he had to start from 11th during the race. Lando Norris, who was the fastest during the practice sessions, ended up sixth while teammate Oscar Piastri managed to finish third.

Lando Norris mentioned that the strategy used in the race was good overall. He believed that the race outcome was largely determined by the undercut tactic, where drivers pit earlier than their competitors to gain an advantage with fresher tires. However, he doesn’t reckon this tactic specifically ruined his race. Norris acknowledged losing positions and Max Verstappen overtaking from 11th, he didn’t blame the result solely on the undercut strategy. The Briton highlighted that going off-track at Turn 1 ruined his prospects in the Grand Prix.

No the strategy was good I think in the end whoever undercut the most won the race. I wouldn't say that ruined my race... I went off in turn one and that ruined my whole race.
Lando Norris said.
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Further, Norris responded to the undercut strategy questions and timing about his pitstop. He mentioned that McLaren did what they thought was the best at that moment. Since Carlos Sainz undercut worked well they thought it would be easy to takedown others too. He believed the car’s pace was good and thought they could’ve been able to push harder, but overall Norris was satisfied with the approach.

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No No.. we did what we thought was the best as Sainz undercut seemed to be correcting.. I think the pace in the car was good, maybe I could've been more aggressive but I was happy otherwise.
Lando Norris added.
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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell (via IMAGO, X/FiftyBucksVT, screenshot)

Lando Norris blames himself for ‘giving away’ points

When a reporter asked Norris about the car’s pace during the race. He mentioned that the turbulence from other cars made him slower and the dirty air made it difficult for him to drive. During the race, when he had a few clean laps without traffic, the car felt good. He was behind Carlos Sainz at the end of the first stint but managed to undercut him, finishing nine seconds ahead. The Briton believed the car’s pace was better today compared to Qualifying and that their strategy worked well. Despite this, there wasn’t much more they could do to improve the outcome.

I was behind Carlos at the end of the first stint, but the strategy came alive a bit. We undercut Carlos and finished nine seconds ahead. I think the pace was better today, but there's not much more we could have done.
Lando Norris stated.
Lando Norris
Lando Norris (via IMAGO)

The reporter asked Norris about closing the gap in Constructors’ and having a good car going into the second phase of the season. He said that he was happy with team’s performance, but he felt he made mistakes in the last races, losing valuable points. The Briton saw the Summer break as an opportunity to reset and come back stronger for the next phase. He believed that with the strong car, they can perform even better and make up for the lost points.

From the team's side, I should be happy, but I think I've messed up a lot in the last few races and given up a lot of points. It's time for a reset, and I'll come back stronger.
Lando Norris added.

Certainly, Lando Norris reckoned he needed to work hard after the summer break since he had already lost significant points. Currently, Norris is close to driver’s standing leader Max Verstappen, and with the second half of the season remaining, he still has the chance to finish stronger. Fans were happy as Piastri clinched third position and brought crucial points to the team.

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