Carlos Sainz commends Lando Norris’s character, defending his former McLaren teammate amid criticism of the driver’s recent performances.
The battle between Norris and Max Verstappen for the World Championship ended with Verstappen securing his fourth consecutive title, as many criticized the McLaren driver for mistakes and alleged mental weaknesses throughout his 2024 campaign.
The 25-year-old led Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar but slowed down to allow teammate Oscar Piastri to claim victory—a gesture mirroring Piastri’s earlier move in Brazil.
When asked about this exchange, Sainz said: “They are teammates, so it’s probably a bit easier to do that between teammates.”
“But the truth is they did well and deserve credit for giving Oscar back the position he earned on merit in Brazil.”
“This says a lot about Lando as a driver and as a person, despite the criticism he receives.”
“People like to criticize what he does, but he continues to show bravery and remains a gentleman on and off the track, so congratulations to him.”
As the season nears its conclusion, McLaren leads the Constructors’ Championship, but Ferrari continues to push hard to close the gap in the standings ahead of the final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. McLaren can secure the title today unless Ferrari manages to concede no more than 14 points to its rival. However, the ideal scenario remains reducing the current gap, which has grown to 30 points.
“It’s becoming difficult but not impossible. In the race, we might be stronger. We need to focus on how we can get ahead of them this Sunday, even if we’ll need to gain at least two-tenths with the softest tires in race pace. We have ideas.”
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Carlos Sainz Stands by Former Teammate Lando Norris
Carlos Sainz Stands by Former Teammate Lando Norris
