Sam Bird thinks Lando Norris will be ‘kicking himself’ after the McLaren driver had an ‘absolutely dreadful’ instant during the F1 Sprint at the 2024 Chinese GP in Shanghai.
For just the third time in his Formula 1 career, Norris started from pole position on Saturday. But his dreams for winning the 24-year-old’s first F1 race of any format were over by the first sequence of corners. The McLaren racer, ultimately, only finished the Sprint in sixth position.
Norris was an absolute star in Sprint Qualifying as he topped a rain-soaked SQ3 session by 1.261 seconds. It marked the Briton’s second Sprint pole to date after he also led off the grid at the 2023 Sao Paulo GP. Only at the 2021 Russian GP has Norris led a Grand Prix off pole.
Sam Bird feels Lando Norris will ‘kick himself’ for the start of the Sprint at the Chinese GP
Yet Norris’ chance to win the F1 Sprint at the 2024 Chinese GP only lasted from the start line to Turn 2. The Bristol-born racer got a worse start compared to his front-row rival, Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton, who used his seven-time championship-winning nous to claim the lead.
Hamilton seized the inside line into Turn 1 thanks to the Mercedes star’s superior launch off the line compared to Norris. The Briton then drifted his compatriot out wide through Turn 2 as the McLaren driver desperately clung on. But Norris eventually ran out of room and track.
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McLaren’s Formula E racer, Bird, believes Norris will be ‘kicking himself’ for trying to hang on after losing several positions. Norris, who is making his 109th Grand Prix entry this weekend, fell to seventh in the Sprint at the Chinese GP after running off trying to fight with Hamilton.
“Lando has had an absolutely dreadful first sector,” Bird stated on BBC Radio 5 Live. “He was trying to hold it around the outside of Lewis but just ran out of grip.”
Bird also added: “[Lando] will be really kicking himself at the end of this race thinking that was a missed opportunity to get another bit of silverware in his trophy cabinet. But, now, it’s a case of learning and understanding, collating data for tomorrow’s big race.”
McLaren driver Lando Norris only recovered to P6 with teammate Oscar Piastri in P7
Norris knew his hopes for winning the Sprint at the 2024 Chinese GP relied on the McLaren driver holding off Mercedes rival Hamilton. But the 14-time Grand Prix podium finisher fell to seventh after his early off. He would even only recover one position through the 19 lap event.
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso suffering a puncture during his fight with Carlos Sainz saw the Spaniard retire. It promoted Norris to P6 with his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, directly behind. Piastri started the Sprint from eighth after qualifying 3.050 seconds slower.
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