After an internal review, the team found the British driver responsible for the opening-lap contact in Singapore.
Thanks to the third-place finish in Singapore two weeks ago, Lando Norris clawed back another three points on his teammate Oscar Piastri, reducing the gap to 22 points, with three sprint races and six full-length races still to go. While the Drivers’ Championship battle still seems wide open, the same cannot be said for the Constructors’ Championship, with McLaren celebrating the clinching of their second consecutive title in Singapore.
“It’s another Constructors’ Championship, it has been an amazing week for the team,” Lando Norris told F1 TV.. “It’s an important moment; I think it’s easy to downplay it a bit because it came so early, and it feels very different compared to last year, when everything was decided at the last race, at the end of the season.”
“On that occasion, we could have let ourselves enjoy it a bit more, but we know there’s still a lot of work to do. It was still a nice celebration and a pleasant moment to appreciate everything we’ve achieved this year.”
The British driver then spoke about the key factor in winning the Drivers’ Championship: “I don’t know, I’d say consistency, as far as I’m concerned. After Zandvoort, I was quite behind and managed to get some consistent results that allowed me to close the gap a bit. I’m still quite far off, but I don’t think there’s a single decisive factor at the moment. It’s just about finishing races and consistently staying in the points.”
“I think I won’t take risks or be aggressive in the race. I need to make sure I finish the races and avoid something like what happened in Singapore.”
Norris reflects on the Singapore contact: his statements
At this point, journalists’ questions focused on the most talked-about moment of the Asian round: the opening-lap contact between the two McLaren drivers. “Obviously, everything has been analyzed, and there are — and will be — consequences for me until the end of the season,” Lando Norris stated.
“I’m not saying I got away with it, but it was also, let’s say, a minor incident, and there was a chance to avoid it. It’s something I never want… I said it after the race: I can’t afford to have contacts or for something like that to happen, because it puts my entire championship at risk just as much as anyone else I’m competing against. Of course, there will be consequences for me, but otherwise our approach and the way we race remain the same as always.”
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, the British driver elaborated on the matter, while still avoiding details about the repercussions: “[The consequences] have nothing to do with you journalists. There have been discussions; it was inevitable. It’s clearly something I want to avoid. Since my arrival in Formula 1, one of my strengths has always been avoiding contact in general, staying in the race, and managing these situations well.”
Finally, Norris focused on the Austin weekend: “I think that, at the moment, a lot depends on qualifying, and I need to build a good opportunity from there. It’s a tricky weekend because there’s also the Sprint Race, so I’ll try to get comfortable as quickly as possible.”
““Certainly, a good sprint qualifying and a strong sprint race give you confidence for the main qualifying and Sunday’s race. I like the track: we probably shouldn’t have been on pole last year, but we were. So I’ll just try to build good confidence with the car, and the results will come on their own.” the British driver concluded.
PHOTO: Formula 1, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team.
