Australian General Practice: Lando Norris says he and McLaren would not beat the chaotic wet race 2024. | F1 news
Lando Norris believes he wouldn’t win the Grand Prix on Sunday that the same chaotic race took place last year.
Norris kept Max Verstappen in the final stages and prevailed mixed conditions in Melbourne to deliver that Sky Sports F1Martin Brundle described as “one of the big wins in the history of F1” on a day in which six drivers demolished and made the correct calls of the strategy.
This is the first time McLaren has won a seasonal opener since 2012, and Norris has underlined his favorite status for the title this year.
“I think, with a small margin, we have the best car but not all about the car,” Norris said Heaven Italy.
“Today was a well -deserved victory because we made good decisions as a team. In the past, last year, we would have made the same race and we would not win because we were not the best in making those decisions today.
“I am a lot of praise for the team because they worked hard in the winter to make sure they are ready in one day as today.”
Three races affected by rain last year – Canadian, British and Sao Paulo Grands Prix – they saw Norris in the fight to win each of them. However, he was unable to stand at the top step of the stand at the events that were key to the championship at the time.
“We lost a few races last year. Not even the one where it was guaranteed, but I think Silverstone was probably a guaranteed victory. I don’t know what invitation we made, but it was shocking and we accepted it,” he said.
“Canada was not a guaranteed victory. George was fast, Mercedes was fast and Max was fast. But we didn’t knock the strategy. We knew we had to improve in certain areas.”
Norris: It felt like a time of story on a radio
Norris started from the position of Polo and kept the lead from the start, but in the first half of the Grand Prix came under the serious pressure of the Oscar -winner teammate Piastra.
In changing, treacherous conditions, it was crucial to have a clear communication between drivers and engineers, the area with which Lewis Hamilton fought on his debate Ferrari.
As for Norris, he says his discussions with engineer Will Joseph were much of their drive to victory.
“There was a lot of work to try to make sure we were Snappier and better with communication. If I were honest, today I wouldn’t say it’s fast – I felt like I had time with Will on the radio,” he said.
“We talked so much about every round; maybe I left my radio open to the whole race. It’s a difficult situation to be the first and not to know what to do with tires. You just know that someone will get behind you behind you, because they will gamble, and that will succeed for them.
“I didn’t want to lose someone in the midst of a package that gambled and somehow won. So, I just made sure we were ready. I made sure that the guys on the wall of the pit and everyone in the mission control of the MTC are aware of what is happening. Make sure we are at the top, ready to make the right call.”
Norris revealed that the race won the decision to get the intermediate tank when the last rainy shower came while trying to avoid Spin after moving wide in 13th place, along with Piastra, who threw his car in a net corner in the trava.
“That real call was literally half a second before I flashed, because I was still trying to save the car and I didn’t crash. It turned out to be the right decision,” he explained.
“It was more about transferring information and ensuring that we do not overdo it, a good amount of information by giving them their feelings.
“It seemed that a bit of a solemn made a big difference to us today, especially for me on hard tires. This is what allowed us to call that invitation as faster as we are. There is much more behind the scenes that I don’t even know.
“There is a lot of this strategic team that does their job. Today I owe them a lot of merit because they have put a lot of time and effort during the winter. It’s not just about cars on a day as today, the strategy is also a lot of it. I owe a lot of will and strategies today.”
Norris: I missed confidence last year
Norris joined McLaren in 2019 as a teenager and will have his best chance to still win the title if McLaren repeats his form from Melbourne in the remaining 23 events.
The twenty -five -year -old was always open to the media about his mentality and seemed to have doubted himself in last year’s title in last year’s title.
“In the season, I came in a little calmer and more relaxed than I normally be,” he said Sky Sports F1.
“I have a little confidence and it’s not like I have too much confidence now. I probably missed confidence last season and now I have a good balance of confidence and knowledge that I can go out, do good when I have to do it. I basically have some faith.
“It’s nice to have and it keeps me calm. When I’m calm, I’m fast and when I’m fast, I can win.”
The F1 Circus is moving straight to Shanghai this week at the first sprint weekend of the season in Chinese GP, and the coverage began on Friday live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – No Treaty, cancel anytime
