In a nerve-wracking finale at the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, Lando Norris faced what he referred to as his “worst nightmare”. Struggling with an increasingly problematic brake pedal on his McLaren MCL39 during the closing stages of the race, Norris nonetheless managed to clinch second place.
The heart-stopping race saw Norris locked in an intense battle against George Russell, not once but twice. Their initial face-off took place at the race’s onset, with a second encounter following the pit-stops round. Norris overcame these challenges to secure the second position and set his sights on the ultimate victor, his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
However, Norris’ pursuit was significantly hindered as he grappled with a progressively lengthening brake pedal on his racing machine. By the race’s final lap, the brake pedal had extended to the floor, placing Norris’ second-place standing in serious jeopardy. Despite this, he narrowly maintained his position, with a comfortable 7-second lead dwindling to a mere 1.3 seconds by the time the checkered flag was waved.
Opening up about his harrowing experience, Norris stated, “It’s like my worst nightmare. When I have a nightmare, it’s when the brakes are failing and I was losing two, three, four seconds the last couple of laps so I was a bit scared, but we survived.”
The young driver expressed his disappointment at the missed opportunity to apply pressure on Piastri but acknowledged the overall satisfactory result. As he put it, “We would have loved to have given it a little try and put Oscar under a little bit of pressure, but not today. So we’re satisfied, great result and we’ll go again next time.”
Despite the brake issue, Norris reflected positively on his aggressive race start in China and his thrilling duels with Russell. He admitted to some initial nervousness when Russell gained an advantage during the pit stops but was pleased with his improved pace in the race’s second half.
The race was a challenging affair, featuring unexpected tyre management issues and surprising one-stop strategies. Yet Norris praised his teammate Piastri’s performance, saying, “Oscar drove well, he was quick the whole race. I tried to get close, but in the end, I just couldn’t.”
When questioned about a potential challenge to Piastri, Norris dismissed the speculation, stating, “Doesn’t matter now really, does it? He deserved a win and he drove very well all weekend, so I’m happy with the second.”
With these recent developments, Norris now leads the Drivers’ standings with a total of 44 points, eight points ahead of Max Verstappen. As he graciously acknowledged the team’s success, he expressed his gratitude, “It’s great points for us as a team with a 1-2. So a big thanks to everyone in Papaya and just how we wanted the race to go, so we’re very happy.”