Lando Norris was unable to capitalize on the pole position in the Sprint race of the São Paulo Formula 1 Grand Prix, finishing in second place. Shortly after the start, he was overtaken by Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – who would go on to win – and briefly lost the position to George Russell (Mercedes) before settling in his final position.
The McLaren driver was pleased with the pace he had, even though it was not enough to challenge the winner: ‘It was fun. My initial start was good, but the second phase of the start may have been a bit too cautious. These are things to improve for the main race, but nevertheless, the pace was strong as we progressed in the race. I tried to chase Max, but I simply didn’t have enough.’
The performance in the Sprint race is encouraging for Norris, who assured maximum commitment in the main race: ‘I am encouraged by how good our pace was. We did not expect to be fighting with Max on a track that does not suit our car as much, so overall I am satisfied with my performance. In the race, I will try to work my way through the field again and work hard to secure good points for the team.’
