Norris on F1 debut: I let everyone down
Lando Norris says getting stuck behind Antonio Giovinazzi cost him the chance to score points on his Formula 1 debut and feels he has let down McLaren having had the pace for the top 10.
The youngest-ever British F1 driver endured a tough middle chunk of his Grand Prix debut when he was stuck behind Alfa Romeo’s Giovinazzi, with the Italian running a longer first stint, which enabled Daniil Kvyat and Lance Stroll to leapfrog him in the running order.
Lando Norris says getting stuck behind Antonio Giovinazzi cost him the chance to score points on his Formula 1 debut and feels he has let down McLaren having had the pace for the top 10.
The youngest-ever British F1 driver endured a tough middle chunk of his Grand Prix debut when he was stuck behind Alfa Romeo’s Giovinazzi, with the Italian running a longer first stint, which enabled Daniil Kvyat and Lance Stroll to leapfrog him in the running order.
Despite eventually getting past Giovinazzi with a smart overtake, Norris ended his F1 debut in 12th place, while McLaren teammate Carlos Sainz Jr was forced to retire due to engine failure, leaving the 19-year-old disappointed having failed to deliver the Woking-based team points when it had the potential from its MCL34.
“It was too late. It cost me the positions on Kvyat and Stroll, which obviously put me out of the points in the end,” Norris said about getting stuck behind Giovinazzi. “I’m a bit annoyed because there was a lot more potential. The car had the pace to be in the top 10, and basically I let everyone down. So I need to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
“I’m pretty proud [of the team]. I think I had a pretty good car today. Not perfect, but overall it had enough pace in it to be in the top 10. I just made a couple of mistakes that put me outside of it.
“It is nice to get my first race out of the way. I was quite nervous going in, but after finishing, I’m reasonably happy.”
Looking to make amends at the second round in Bahrain, Norris says he will focus on his weaknesses from the opener. The teenager feels he was too aggressive with his start, losing positions as a result, and also wants to improve his pace consistency.
“My initial start was okay, and then I just got a bit too keen and got wheelspin, and the lock-up, I think it’s just over-pushing a bit too much,” he said.
“Small things here and there. It’s just working on the mistakes, working on my weak areas, the team’s weak areas, and just trying to improve.”
