Norris happy with P3 in Sprint but Red Bull out of reach
Lando Norris was satisfied overall with his third-place finish in Saturday’s Sprint event at the United States Grand Prix, despite losing out on second to Carlos Sainz in the closing moments of the race.
The McLaren driver believed he had extracted everything possible from his MCL38, recognizing that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari had the edge at The Circuit of the Americas in outright pace.
Starting from fourth on the grid, Norris had an impressive launch, surging past both Ferraris and George Russell’s Mercedes to secure second position by the end of the first lap.
For much of the 19-lap Sprint, Norris held firm in second, trailing Verstappen, who had built up a comfortable lead at the front. However, in the latter stages, Norris came under increasing pressure from Sainz.
On the final lap, a small lock-up compromised the Briton’s defense, allowing Sainz to make a clean pass and claim second place. Although disappointed to miss out on the runner-up spot, Norris was pragmatic about the outcome.
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“I mean, it was a good race. Honestly, I’m pretty happy with how things ended up,” he said post-race.
Reflecting on the final lap battle with Sainz, he admitted it had been “ a tough one”.
“I thought I could maybe hang onto second, but Carlos did a good job and my front tyres were completely finished so there was not a lot I could do. Whether I stayed straight or defended or not I’m pretty sure I would have lost the position to Carlos.”
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Despite the late setback, Norris remained upbeat about his performance.
“A disappointing end, but I’m happy with the race result and a good amount of points.”
Norris also acknowledged that McLaren, while strong, couldn't quite match the pace of Verstappen's Red Bull or the Ferraris in Austin.
But the Briton noted one bright spot: his ability to launch well at the start, an area that hasn’t always been a strength for him this season, and which played a key role in his third-place finish.
“There’s a few races the starts were bad, but otherwise they’ve been good, and today was a good start again and a good first corner," Norris said.
“I did the most I could. I don’t think we have the pace on Max or the Ferraris, therefore I’m happy to finish third.”
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