Lando Norris confessed that his chances of winning the Canadian GP were hindered by the intervention of the Safety Car. The current world champion bounced back impressively after a poor performance in Monaco. However, during the race, it seemed like Norris was on track to secure his second victory in Formula 1. The British driver openly spoke about the late appearance of the Safety Car, which ended up costing him the lead.
For most of the race, Norris was on par with his competitors, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. He showed incredible speed by using DRS to overtake Verstappen on the straight before taking the lead in the first half of the Grand Prix. Unfortunately, the entry of the Safety Car resulted in Norris losing precious time and falling behind the two drivers.
However, Norris managed to regain the second position by the end of the race. The McLaren driver described the Canadian GP as an eventful and chaotic race. He stated that he displayed excellent pace throughout the race. However, Norris acknowledged that the Safety Car ruined his chances of securing the victory. Nevertheless, he also recognized that the Safety Car played a role in his first Formula 1 win in Miami.
Norris shared his thoughts on the race, stating: “It was chaotic and eventful. To be honest, I believe I had a strong race from start to finish. I had incredible pace and, although the Safety Car affected me, just like in Miami, it also worked in my favor.”
The drivers were forced to face an extremely wet track in Montreal, resulting in virtually no visibility on the circuit. This challenging condition led to a collision between Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly. Additionally, Norris struggled with grip during his out lap after the Safety Car period, unable to overtake Max Verstappen with a longer pit stop strategy. Ultimately, this setback cost him the Canadian GP.
Norris admitted that these conditions can be stressful for the drivers. However, he also emphasized that they can be fun. Furthermore, he praised Max Verstappen for his impressive victory in Montreal. Nevertheless, Norris expressed satisfaction in scoring valuable points for McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship.
“These conditions are incredibly stressful inside the car, but they can also be fun. Things were going well, but credit to Max, he had a strong race. The Safety Car helped me in Miami and, although I’m disappointed, I’m happy we secured good points in the Constructors’ Championship,” Norris stated.
Arguably, Lando Norris had a successful weekend in Montreal, and McLaren must be pleased with his strong performance against Red Bull. However, Norris and the team will continue to strive for victories in the upcoming races.
