A powerful restoration drive to fourth place within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was not sufficient for Lando Norris to shake the sensation that he was unfairly eradicated by a yellow flag in qualifying.
Norris was on his last timed lap of Q1 and set to enhance when he got here throughout the slow-moving Esteban Ocon within the last sector – a yellow flag appeared that meant Norris lifted and aborted his lap, regardless of Ocon having been limping again to the pits with a puncture for a while below a white flag that denotes a sluggish shifting automobile.
Whereas he climbed via from fifteenth to complete fourth forward of Max Verstappen on Sunday, Norris says the incident had a huge effect on his scoring potential.
“No, it wasn’t honest, you don’t must be a scientist to work that out,” Norris stated. “It’s not for me to resolve, it’s not for me to say. It was unfair and for it to spoil my entire weekend… I do know I bought a fourth and that’s not unhealthy, but it surely may have been higher. Oscar [Piastri] confirmed what was doable.
“It was unfair. There was no yellow the entire lap they usually put a yellow out simply as I got here previous. Did I am going off the observe simply earlier than it? Sure. Would I’ve nonetheless simply bought into the highest 15? Sure. I do know there’s lots of people that thought it will have ruined my lap, however even with my off observe, I solely misplaced a few tenths and I nonetheless would have simply been in.
“Individuals can say what they need and I discover numerous it humorous however this was out of my management and it was one thing that was unfair. It price me quantity of factors within the championship and form of ruined my weekend. So it’s disappointing, particularly due to how good the automobile was. I’m a man that was pondering of what may have been, not how we did [in the race] essentially. However I’m very proud of [Sunday’s] efficiency.”
Though he was pissed off by the qualifying consequence, Norris admits beating Verstappen had not been a sensible goal pre-race, with the group predicting eighth place to be the seemingly consequence.
“A little bit bit stunned, as a result of whenever you begin fifteenth you don’t anticipate to beat him. All of them boxed and we have been behind them, so I used to be about 22 seconds behind on actual phrases to the place they have been. So to create a spot forward of him after which to field and nonetheless overtake him, I wasn’t anticipating to do such a factor.
“However I may defend in opposition to Max as a result of he spent six laps making an attempt to catch up, a number of laps behind when the Ferrari was behind, and I knew his tires have been getting a bit scorching so he couldn’t assault me anymore. So I performed the sport nicely and I knew I couldn’t defend in opposition to Carlos [Sainz], however I may defend in opposition to Max.
“However the primary level was I defended in opposition to Checo [Perez] and allowed him to not get forward of Oscar, which allowed us to go and get the win. So I did my small half for the group, which I’m very completely happy for as a result of it bought us to P1 within the constructors’, in order that’s in all probability the factor that makes me the happiest.”
