Norris: US GP setback a ‘momentum killer’ for title hopes
Lando Norris believes that his F1 title aspirations took a hit last weekend in Austin, the McLaren driver describing the outcome of his US Grand Prix as a “momentum killer”.
Norris’ sole objective ahead of last weekend’s round of racing at The Circuit of the Americas was to uphold the relative form he had showcased last month in Singapore, before Formula 1’s autumn break.
The Briton’s crushing win at Marina Bay reduced his deficit to championship leader Max Verstappen to 52 points and boded well for his prospects in Texas, although McLaren was by no means expecting to dominate proceedings.
But the sport’s three-week hiatus had reinvigorated Red Bull, with Verstappen taking a commanding win in Saturday’s Sprint event, but also Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc enjoying an equally authoritative victory in Sunday’s Grand Prix proper.
Norris concluded his weekend fourth, one place behind Verstappen, after a controversial five-second penalty for overtaking his arch-rival beyond the limits of the circuit, deprived him of the final spot on the podium.
Reflecting on how the weekend had affected his title chances, Norris admitted the setback was substantial.
"I mean, quite a bit. It's a momentum killer,” he conceded.
"But we came in here with our mind open, not expecting to dominate or just win or anything. The fact that Ferrari was so quick showed they're just as competitive.
"Even if I had come around Turn 1 in first, I would never have finished first or second and only could have finished third.
"The one guy I needed to beat was Max, and that's the guy I didn't beat. So, it was an unsuccessful weekend all in all.”
Despite the disappointment, Norris remained determined to push forward, recognizing areas where both the car and his own performance need improvement.
"We gave it a good shot. I tried. It wasn't good enough, and we have work to do, and I've work to do on myself,” he added.
McLaren’s struggles at COTA weren’t entirely unexpected. Team principal Andrea Stella highlighted that the circuit’s characteristics, particularly the abundance of low-speed corners and windy conditions, did not favor McLaren’s car setup as much as other recent tracks.
"Compared to Singapore here, there's quite a lot more low-speed braking into low-speed corners, plus wind, and we know that in these conditions, not necessarily our car performs at the best,” the Italian explained.
"It is not as good as in some medium speed corners, low wind conditions, which we had in Singapore, we had in Zandvoort, and we had in Hungary.
"We know that these three venues that I've just mentioned do suit our car, but here I would have expected this event to be the most difficult of the remaining six events."
©McLaren
Stella also pointed to Ferrari’s impressive pace in Austin, which played a role in McLaren’s more challenging weekend. Ferrari had not maximized their potential in previous races, but in Austin, they emerged as a serious threat.
"They have been quick over the previous races pretty consistently," he added. "If anything, they have not been capable of maximising their potential.
"In Baku, Leclerc, in fairness, was definitely in condition to win the race. In Singapore, we were expecting Leclerc to be competitive for pole position and the same in the race. So, we are not surprised that Ferrari is so close.”
Looking ahead, Stella was optimistic for the upcoming races, believing that the remaining circuits could suit McLaren’s car better.
Stella confirmed that further upgrades were on the way, which they hope will improve their competitiveness.
"I think the next circuits should be more suitable to the characteristics of our car. We also have to keep developing the car.
"Here, we took some developments to the front of the car, but they were nothing too large in terms of potential lap time impact.
“We have a couple more things that are coming in the next two races, and we will see if we are in a condition to alter the competitiveness of the car.”
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