Lando Norris says McLaren weren’t able to combat for the title this yr after Max Verstappen was confirmed because the world champion in Las Vegas.
Norris was unable to maintain the championship alive when he completed sixth behind Verstappen in Sunday’s race in Las Vegas.
The McLaren driver was concerned in his first title combat this season, in the identical yr he received his maiden Grand Prix in Could in Miami.
“I didn’t even expect to be in the title fight. I think I was happy with just how calm I was, how focused I was,” Norris, who instantly congratulated Verstappen, informed Sky Sports activities F1.
“There’s positively extra stress. There’s extra eyes, there’s extra nerves. There’s extra calls for on me ensuring I’m going out and do not mess up, do not make a mistake within the race, keep within the race, do not get taken out. You must drive higher if you get to that time and I really feel like I’ve.
“Since Zandvoort I really feel like I’ve completed near an ideal job. At all times issues I may have improved on however I really feel like I’ve completed a very good job, particularly this second half of the season.
“The primary half, I do not assume I used to be, or we have been as a workforce mentally able to be like ‘oh, now now we have to combat in opposition to the large boys and execute completely.’ And we paid the value a bit bit.
“As much as we would like to believe we were ready, we weren’t and we paid the price a little bit – but also it was us that was there fighting Max, no one else.”
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Martin Brundle takes a better have a look at the brilliance of Max Verstappen, because the Crimson Bull driver sits getting ready to his fourth consecutive world title
Norris: Even with good yr, I might not have received championship
McLaren began the yr with a comparatively uncompetitive automobile earlier than a giant improve package deal in Miami noticed them all of a sudden develop into able to difficult Crimson Bull.
Norris was 53 factors behind Verstappen after his win on the Miami Grand Prix however has fallen to 63 factors behind with two occasions to go, regardless of McLaren preventing for victories at most races since then.
Throughout the identical 16-race interval, Norris has solely received two races in comparison with Verstappen’s 4. The pair clashed in Austria, the place Norris retired, then once more in USA and Mexico Metropolis.
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Max Verstappen mirrored on his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship win and divulges extra on his future with Crimson Bull
“We started the season off the worst of the top four teams and we’ve ended up being the most consistent and probably the best team,” continued Norris.
“I am extra proud than the rest. I do not remorse something. You all the time have these issues the place [you think] perhaps I ought to have completed {that a} bit otherwise. However not one thing I remorse as a result of I do not assume, even when it was an ideal yr on my behalf, we may have received the championship this yr.
“I think Max drove too well. Red Bull and the team did too good of a job for us and it was just lost in the first six races.
“We caught up, it fluctuated a bit however we simply by no means clawed it again from there. So nonetheless completely happy that it was us and we put up a very good combat. I am wanting ahead to subsequent yr being in there from the start.”
The British driver will now flip his full consideration to the Constructors’ Championship as McLaren’s lead was trimmed to 24 factors over Ferrari with two races left – in Qatar, which encompasses a Dash, and Abu Dhabi.
Norris thinks he has what it takes to win a championship however acknowledged he’s up in opposition to a driver who he regards as one in every of F1’s greats.
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Sky Sports activities F1’s Ted Kravitz displays on a dramatic race on the Las Vegas Grand Prix, by which George Russell claimed P1 and Max Verstappen received his fourth world title
“When he had the quickest car, he dominated, when he didn’t, he was still there and always on my heels,” he defined.
“He made my life tough. We made his tough, I’m sure, at times. But he drove a better season and of course a big congrats to him. That’s the main thing.”
Components 1’s season-ending triple-header continues subsequent weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream the ultimate two F1 races and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
