Lando Norris finished second at the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend but was left wondering what might have been. He missed the opportunity to bag his second Formula 1 victory.
Norris started third behind George Russell and Max Verstappen, but after biding his time in the opening stages, he passed both of them to take the lead. He then built up a healthy eight-second advantage at the front.
However, the timing of the first safety car worked against him. While it was deployed before he rounded the final corner, his rivals had much more time to react.
Verstappen will see this as payback for the Miami Grand Prix, where Norris was the beneficiary in similar circumstances. He was able to make a ‘free’ pit stop and emerge ahead of the Red Bull before securing a maiden victory.
Norris has now finished on the podium 18 times in his career, with four of those coming this season. With a 25-point advantage over Carlos Sainz in fourth, he has a strong chance of finishing in the top three in the championship for the first time.
Formula 1 fans hit back at Lando Norris over Sebastian Vettel cool-down room remark
At the end of the race, the drivers have the opportunity to watch the highlights in the cooldown room. There was plenty for Verstappen, Norris and Russell to review after a chaotic affair in Montreal.
They saw Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez losing control of his Red Bull at turn six and sliding off the race track. Perez broke his rear wing as he went backwards into the barrier.
“Oh! Seb Vettel!” Norris exclaimed as he watched the footage. This seemed to be a reference to the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, where Vettel surrendered victory to Jenson Button with a mistake at the same corner.
While the comment was likely meant in jest, many F1 fans seemingly viewed it as disrespectful. One, @humplerlea67458, told Norris to ‘focus on not bottling with the fastest car’, a criticism echoed by @kincigu.
Another, @yubby_gg, pointed out that Vettel had four world championships and 53 race wins to his name, while Norris’ numbers pale in comparison. @nomadandinlove told the Englishman he had a ‘potty mouth’.
@albania1443 argued that Norris’ ‘unserious’ attitude would cost him a shot at the world championship. And finally, @omarRpepper questioned why he was aiming ‘digs’ at a four-time title-winner.
Ted Kravitz had ‘torturous interview’ with Norris at Canadian Grand Prix
Norris was on the defensive before the race weekend began. When Sky Sports F1 presenter Ted Kravitz asked a lighthearted question about his visit to a Monaco nightclub after last month’s race, he asked why drivers aren’t allowed to enjoy themselves in private.
Kravitz described it as a ‘torturous’ interview and wasn’t sure whether or not the 24-year-old was serious. Norris would leave Montreal frustrated, but he can be optimistic about McLaren’s prospects for the coming races after yet another strong showing.
Indeed, with Oscar Piastri coming home in fifth place, McLaren scored more points (28) than any other team in the top three. Verstappen was the only scorer for Red Bull (25) as Perez crashed out, while Ferrari suffered a double DNF.
The Woking outfit are now just 40 points behind the Scuderia and will consider themselves dark horses in the constructors’ championship. Indeed, Red Bull director Helmut Marko called the pairing of Norris and Piastri the strongest on the F1 grid.
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