Lando Norris pushed his McLaren to the maximum to gain points in the 2023 Monaco GP. However, the Briton was keen on playing some mischief on race winner Max Verstappen during the race.
When the McLaren driver was battling it out in the chaotic midfield, he had the chance to pass the Dutchman. Norris, who is good friends with Verstappen, reveals the move would piss the 2x champion.
However, the driver decided not to spoil the Red Bull driver’s strategy. A smart move by Norris who benefitted both drivers in the end.
Lando Norris wanted Max Verstappen to face Blue Flags
Max Verstappen is a regular in the front row of the F1 grid, hence he rarely ever sees blue flags during the race. But Lando Norris claims it would have been funny if the Dutchman would have been shown the courtesy flag.
Norris was battling AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda for 9th place while the rain poured on Monaco’s track. The driver was gaining pace in his inters while Verstappen, down the road, was struggling. The McLaren driver claims it would have been fun to pass him during the race.
“I wanted Max to get blue flags!” 😂🟦
Lando is feeling positive after his strong end-of-race pace helped him secure P9 👊 pic.twitter.com/LxKGHj6VmB
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 28, 2023
He revealed in his post-race interview with Sky Sports, “I wanted Max to get blue flags. Probably the first time in his life he would have had blue flags. So I was hoping to pass him because he would have hated it and I would have loved it. Would have been funny!”
However, the McLaren driver decided to not interfere with the race leader. He added, “But he was leading the Monaco Grand Prix, so I didn’t want to intrude too much.” Norris knows well that his friend doesn’t like any intrusions while he is leading the race.
Norris was impressed by McLaren’s pace in Monaco
It was a fruitful Monaco GP for McLaren, who were celebrating their 60th anniversary with a special triple crown livery. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both finished on points in P9 and P10 respectively.
The Woking-based team had a dismal start to the season with a slow car. However, the team managed to nail their strategies during the rain-soaked Monaco GP to secure double points finish.
McLaren called in both drivers on lap 56 for a double-stack pitstop for Inters. Despite not enjoying a great start, Norris claims he found pace later on with the inters.
Double points finish! 🏁 Both Lando and Oscar get their rewards during a chaotic #MonacoGP. 👏 pic.twitter.com/cTz4EKeA9Q
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 28, 2023
He said, “The pace was very strong, quickest on the track at the end. I think the only mistake was we boxed on the hard tire for two laps, then went onto the intermediates. We just didn’t expect it to rain.”
Norris also claims the gamble to pit for Intermediates paid off. Initially, McLaren predicted only a drizzle or light rain, and the Briton decided to pit based on the info provided. However, the decision paid off as the rain intensified and cars rushed into the pitlane to change tires.
