Lando Norris, a British driver for McLaren, acknowledged that his team was facing a difficult challenge against Ferrari in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Norris admitted that he pushed too hard on his tires in the first stint, which ultimately put him at a disadvantage. Despite McLaren’s optimism heading into the weekend, as they had achieved a double podium at Suzuka in the past and their car had similar strengths to its predecessor, Norris was unable to keep up with the Ferrari drivers and finished in fifth place. Ferrari’s race management, including executing a one-stop strategy with Charles Leclerc and an overcut strategy with Carlos Sainz, played a significant role in their success. However, Norris believes that Ferrari’s race pace was not as exceptional as anticipated. He acknowledged that trying to keep up with a faster car or stay ahead of the Ferraris put additional strain on his tires, making it difficult to maintain a competitive position. Despite this, Norris expressed satisfaction with McLaren’s performance, as they finished where they expected to be – behind Ferrari. He recognized that their strong performance in qualifying may have given the impression that they were better than they actually were, but the race brought them back to reality. Norris also questioned McLaren’s strategy, suggesting that they may have been too cautious compared to Ferrari. He reflected on the timing of his second pit stop and wondered if they could have made a different decision to improve their chances. Norris believed that they may have unnecessarily covered George Russell’s pit stop, which led to him pitting at the same time as Charles Leclerc. In hindsight, Norris believed that he could have extended his stint by a few more laps and then made a comeback, similar to what Carlos Sainz did. Overall, Norris expressed that this was just his opinion and that the team would discuss and review their strategy moving forward.
Max Verstappen has surpassed Lewis Hamilton once again following his victory at the Emilia Romagna GP. These two drivers have been the most prominent figures in Formula 1...
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