Lando Norris’ words in the press conference ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend.
In just a few hours, with the first free practice sessions, the official weekend of the Las Vegas Grand Prix will begin. This is the third-to-last race of the season, featuring a fierce battle between Ferrari and McLaren for the Constructors’ Championship, while the Drivers’ Championship is solely a challenge between Max Verstappen and the math.
Lando Norris knows it well: he is the first contender, and in a press conference, the British driver focused on the battle with Ferrari. He said: “Ferrari has been competitive for a long time. They have two excellent drivers, they are a top-level team, and they have clearly made great progress, improving their car and finding a clearer direction to follow. In some races, they’ve been slightly better than us, in others, they’ve been a bit behind, and in some, we’ve been equal. Perhaps the momentum is slightly in their favor, but we’re very close.
Red Bull is still there, so it’s an open challenge. In the end, it all depends on who can extract the best performance during a weekend. We know Las Vegas could suit Ferrari’s characteristics a bit more. Last year, it was a favorable track for them, but we’re also aware that Qatar might play more to our advantage.”
Lando then reflected on the Brazilian Grand Prix, a key moment in the title battle with Max Verstappen: “It was almost a decisive moment for the championship, in fact, it really was. The possibilities were almost gone. For a week, I felt quite down because I realized that things were now out of my control, no longer within my reach. It’s a hard realization to accept, especially when your hopes and beliefs were so high.
Seeing all that crumble so suddenly was quite demoralizing. But you learn to accept that this is life. In Miami, I admitted that I was lucky to win thanks to the Safety Car, and that’s part of the strategy. I think in Brazil, Max was even luckier, but that’s Formula 1, that’s racing. I’m not complaining.”
However, the McLaren driver says he’s satisfied with the progress made in recent months. Here’s what he said: “I’m very satisfied with how the last few months have gone. Honestly, I wouldn’t change much. But I know I still have room for improvement: there are areas I need to refine and changes I need to make. I’m not completely satisfied with how I’ve done so far, but I’m sure I have the qualities needed to fight for a championship. That doesn’t mean I’m complete or perfect. When you’re racing against drivers like Max, you need to be close to perfection if you want to challenge them.”
