We should have won the grand prix, says Lando
LANDO Norris felt he should have won the Canadian Grand Prix and dismissed suggestions that he was unlucky with the timing of a safety car.
The McLaren driver started third in wet conditions on Montreal’s Ile Notre-Dame, but came alive as the track began to dry, surging past eventual race winner and world champion Max Verstappen and pole-sitter George Russell to take the lead of the grand prix.
He was almost three seconds a lap quicker than those behind, opening up a sizeable lead when Williams’ Logan Sargeant hit the barriers and brought out a safety car.
Verstappen and Russell pitted a lap earlier than Norris and jumped ahead of the 24-year-old.
Norris ultimately recovered to finish second, ahead of Russell, in a thrilling race but disagreed with the suggestion he was the victim of bad luck – as had been the case for Verstappen when the Somerset driver won in Miami.
“We should have won the race and we didn’t, so that is frustrating. We had the pace,” Norris said.
“We should have won, simple as that. We didn’t do a good enough job as a team to box when we should have done and not get stuck behind the safety car.
“I don’t think it was bad luck like it was (for Max in Miami). This was just making a wrong call. That is on me and the team and it is something we will discuss after.
“We should have won and we are at a level now where we are not satisfied with second. We want to win. It was not the timing of the safety car. I had enough time to box and we didn’t box so that is just something we didn’t do a good enough job with.”
Remarkably McLaren scored points in Canada for the first time since 2014 and are again contending for grand prix wins – a year on from a miserable race here before a big upgrade which turned around their fortunes.
The West Country driver is happy with the performance of the team ahead of the next race in Barcelona and is excited by the battle out front, especially with a resurgent Mercedes appearing to have joined the scrap with the leading three teams.
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in Montreal, a place behind Mercedes team-mate Russell and one ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
“I look forward to every track now because every place we are performing well. We will see where Mercedes are because they have clearly improved,” Norris added.
“This weekend they have been quickest all weekend. If they are quick the next few races as well and join the fight with Red Bull, Ferrari and us it will make it even more exciting. Eight cars fighting up there is exciting for us and everyone watching.”
Rain before the race meant it started in wet conditions and there were plenty of drivers struggling.
However, triumphant Verstappen enjoyed the challenge – and the competition from McLaren and Mercedes. He said: “It is a lot of fun to drive these kind of races every now and then.
“Not all the time, though, because it is too stressful.
“I had a lot of fun out there today. As a team we made the right calls and that is very important.
“It (the safety car) sometimes works for you and sometimes works against you and this time it worked for us. I guess in that sense it is 1-1 now this year!”