Lando Norris revealed a week of despair after Brazil, where his fading F1 title hopes were dashed by Verstappen’s dominance.
Norris revealed that his defeat in Brazil left him “depressed for a week” and that he realized “the doors were almost closed” on his dream of winning the Formula 1 title this year.
Norris heads into this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix facing an almost insurmountable task to claim the title, as he sits 62 points behind Max Verstappen. The Dutchman only needs to maintain a 60-point gap after the race to secure the championship. If not in Vegas, the title will likely be decided in Qatar unless a series of major setbacks—such as retirements or accidents—affects the Red Bull driver.
The Briton’s championship hopes suffered a major blow in Brazil, where he fell from pole position to sixth place, while Verstappen triumphed from 17th on the grid.
Norris had managed to reduce the gap to 44 points with a victory in the previous Sprint race, but his latest setback has all but ensured Verstappen will retain his crown.
“Not much has changed, honestly, since the end of the race in Brazil. It hurt. I sort of know what position I’m in now. I have less to lose now.”
“The gap to Max is, for the first time… probably when I looked at it myself, and kind of realized where things stand.”
“I think post-Brazil was a tough period for me because it was the first moment, realistically, when I thought it was hard to reach first place now.”
“We were in very good form. Little by little, you know, it’s hard to make up big points on Max because he hasn’t had bad races.”
“It was a tough week of feeling down because things didn’t go as we wanted. It was tricky, but it doesn’t change my approach. My approach has been right. My approach has been the correct one over the past few weekends.”
“I’ve delivered strong performances, I’ve done a good job. So, from my side, I haven’t changed anything, but I think I can probably enjoy it a bit more.”
Why the feeling of being down?
“I think what made Brazil difficult came down to two things. One was that something like this happened so late in the season. I think when it’s earlier in the season, it’s less significant, and you see how things play out later.”
“It was almost a decisive moment for the championship. In fact, it was a decisive moment for the championship. The doors are nearly closed. For a week, I was quite down. That’s because I realized things were practically out of my control now—not necessarily within reach.”
“It’s a hard realization when hopes and belief are so high. Being knocked down that much all at once was quite demoralizing.”
“It’s not the best feeling, but you learn to accept that this is life. I admit it, even in Miami. I was lucky in Miami to win with a safety car, but that was the strategy to go with.”
“Brazil was still a bit luckier for Max with the red flag and getting his tires changed for free. That’s Formula 1. That’s racing, and I don’t complain about it.”
“Luck can be on your side, or it can be on someone else’s. That’s life. I don’t mind. One day it will go your way; the next day, it won’t.”
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Brazil GP Seals Verstappen’s Path to F1 Glory Brazil GP Seals Verstappen’s Path to F1 Glory
