Lando Norris reveals ‘worst nightmare’ that cost him Chinese GP victory

Lando Norris pinpointed a scary issue in the McLaren MCL39 that made him lose crucial time during the Chinese GP.

Lando Norris reveals ‘worst nightmare’ that cost him Chinese GP victory

Lando Norris (via RacingNews365)

The Chinese GP was a disappointing weekend for Lando Norris. The British driver had a solid start to the 2025 season in Melbourne last weekend, but failed to stay consistent this time around. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old managed to finish in second place in Shanghai, behind teammate Oscar Piastri. Now, he has pointed out the one thing that turned the race into a nightmare.

Norris failed to make a mark in China during the sprint race, losing crucial points to his rivals. The McLaren start started the main race from third place and overtook George Russell at the start. However, from that point, Lando Norris could not make further gains as his teammate Piastri brought home a McLaren 1-2.

YouTube video

After the race, the five-time race winner opened up about a major issue in his MCL39. Lando Norris claimed that the brake pedal on his car had become his ‘worst nightmare.’ The 25-year-old asserted that this issue cost him over two to three seconds in the final two laps as he tried to keep things in order and cross the finish line.

It [The brake pedal] was my worst nightmare, I was losing 2, 3, 4 seconds the last two laps. It was scary but we made it to the end.

Lando Norris said post-race

The situation was severe for Norris. The McLaren star confessed that he was scared if he could finish the Grand Prix without any incident. Thankfully, Norris was able to finish the race in second place and bring home some crucial points in the battle for the world title against Max Verstappen this season.

Lando Norris opens up on nerve-wracking Chinese GP

A fault brake pedal was not the only issue Norris faced over the course of the race in Shanghai. The British driver was facing the risk of losing second place to George Russell who once again was pulling off an impressive drive for Mercedes.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (via Motorsportweek)
McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (via Motorsportweek)

Lando Norris pointed out that he lost out to Russell after the pitstops. This made him nervous over potentially not gaining back his position. Luckily, things remained in order for the McLaren star who was quicker in his second stint.

The start I was hoping for, but then George got me in the pit stops. I was a little nervous, but we were better in the second stint.

Lando Norris added

He further applauded Oscar Piastri for taking a strong win for the team. Norris insisted that he was satisfied after finishing in second position. As McLaren bags a strong points finish courtesy of the 1-2 result.

Oscar drove well, he deserved the win. I’m happy with second, good points and great points for the team with a 1-2.

Lando Norris noted

Certainly. Lando Norris seems to have managed to turn things around to an extent on Sunday. After a difficult Friday, he went back to the drawing board and tried to bounce back. Albeit, the brake pedal made things much more difficult for the Briton, he showed that he could remain calm and bring the car home in one piece.