“I had done my best and was still 1.9 seconds behind him”– Lando Norris is ‘hurt’ by exceptional Max Verstappen performances

Tanish Chachra | 03/09/2022
"I had done my best and was still 1.9 seconds behind him"– Lando Norris is 'hurt' by exceptional Max Verstappen performances

Lando Norris claims that the exceptional performances of Max Verstappen hurt him as he clocked almost 2 seconds better time than him.

Max Verstappen is an exceptional talent and is having his best times with Red Bull. The Dutchman is dominating his way to the championship and could have his 10th win of the season.

On Saturday, in front of his home crowd, Verstappen took yet another pole. Though the drivers following him didn’t have much difference against him, it surely gives the Red Bull star an advantage ahead of Sunday.

But Lando Norris is in awe of Verstappen after Saturday’s performance. So much that he almost envies him, as Norris remarks how Verstappen clocked almost two seconds better time than him.

“He said he had only driven one lap and he was six tenths clear,” the driver told the Dutch medium. “And I had done my best and was still 1.9 seconds behind him. That hurt inside.”

Meanwhile, Norris finished P7 in qualifying. The Briton race driver made the most out of his resources at McLaren this week so far, but a podium finish seems unlikely.

Also read: George Russell aims to steal points from Ferrari and Red Bull on Sunday

Lando Norris claims he has to find the right balance with MCL36

The current McLaren car is a tough car to drive. Norris concedes this point and mentions that he and Daniel Ricciardo have to drive in a ‘special way’ and have to find the right balance in every corner.

“It’s the driving style. We have to drive in a very special way. Not all the time, but it varies from corner to corner. You really have to make an effort to find the right balance in every corner,” said Norris, who will have Oscar Piastri as a teammate next season.

The Briton has a new Australian teammate

After winning the trial against Alpine, Mclaren has safeguarded the services of Oscar Piastri. the Australian will be replacing his compatriot Ricciardo in the Woking-based team.

So far, Norris has remained stoic over his teammate for the last two years, leaving the sport. Though, he admitted that he had helped the 33-year-old in his whole capacity to find solutions for his struggles.

Meanwhile, he welcomed Piastri on Twitter after his announcement and admitted during the Dutch Grand Prix that he looks forward to working with somebody new.

Also read: Daniel Ricciardo was ‘not aware’ about McLaren signing Oscar Piastri back in July

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Lando Norris Max Verstappen McLaren Red Bull

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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