“Just want to finish as high as possible,” Lando Norris slightly “disappointed” after finishing behind teammate Daniel Ricciardo
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Lando Norris
The McLaren Formula One team had a good outing in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but Lando Norris after the race has somewhat questioned the team orders that he was asked to follow during the race.
Lando Norris started the race in P11 on the mediums whereas his teammate Ricciardo started on the hard compounds. During the initial stages, Ricciardo had the faster car but was asked by the team to hold position and when during the VSC incident Ricciardo was able to gain an advantage, it was the Brit’s turn to hold the position.
Like Ricciardo, Norris was also asked to refrain from chasing after his teammate and this did not sit well with the young Brit, and sounded agitated on the team radio.
The McLaren’s finished P8 and P9 and after the race, while discussing the incident Lando said, “I think it’s quite simple, there was one lap just before I boxed that Daniel could have overtaken me, and didn’t. I think he was told just to defend to [Pierre] Gasly pretty much until I boxed, but I boxed the next lap.”
“So there was one lap he stayed behind me, and I guess the return favor for him just not overtaking me was for me not to overtake him.”
“I could have done, I was alongside into Turn 1. And it was a tough decision whether to really do it or not. My pace on the hard was quite a bit stronger.”
“I went with what we decided as a team and stuck with that. He just had the luck of the VSC pitstop, and he came out on the medium at the end. So I just would have thought he had a bit more pace and could attack Fernando much better.”
“As a team, I think we just did a good job today, we did what we wanted, which was to finish in the points.”
Lando Norris on seeing the bigger picture
While Lando Norris has sounded a bit dejected he has also indicated that it was important for the team to finish in points with both cars and suggested that in the end, he saw what was best for the team.
“Honestly, if I finished eighth or ninth today, it’s not the end of the world, it doesn’t change too much. We just want to finish as high as possible.” said, Norris.
“I think just understanding the difference of the situations we were in, it was one lap, Daniel just stayed behind me until I boxed. And I don’t think that one lap would have changed anything. He still would have been probably behind Fernando, and I still would have been behind, it’s just he got the VSC pitstop.”
“So I think just racing for a normal position at the end. He wasn’t there, or behind me or whatever, or in a different position, because of what we did earlier in the race.”
“We thought that would help me, but it didn’t. And therefore at the end of the race, there was nothing to gain or lose between us.”
Daniel Ricciardo after the race also weighed in on the situation and suggested that had he let Norris by, he still would not have been able to get past Fernando Alonso.
While talking about his race strategy Ricciardo said, “I think the hard was the better tyre, we were quicker at the beginning. There were some team orders there.”
“Then at the end, Lando was quicker on the hard, and there were some team orders, so it kind of swung both ways.”
“Early in the race I was in his DRS and I lifted, I didn’t pass when I easily could have. In the end, I think he was in my DRS and he was probably the same, he probably could have passed me with a lap or two to go. So I guess it was just a favor that was returned.“
“In any case, even if I released him, I don’t think we had anything for Fernando. I saw early in the race Lando was exiting Turn 16 on his gearbox and still couldn’t overtake.”
“So I don’t think it changed the team result, I think we’re going to be eighth or ninth regardless.”
After looking at what the McLaren drivers have had to say about the race it can be said that the duo accepted their respective fates during the closing stages even though grudgingly on Norris’s part.
Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in the past few races were quite far apart in terms of performances and today’s P8 and P9 finish is going to do a lot of good to the morale of the team going ahead into the next few races.
Given Ricciardo had struggled in the last few races, today’s result is going to help the Australian in getting his mojo back and once he gets over his problems completely, it is going to bode well for the team in their attempt to finish as high as possible in the Constructors championship.
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Rishabh Negi
(3244 Articles Published)