Lando Norris: We fought to the end

Both McLaren drivers scored points in the final race of the season, although this was not enough to overtake Alpine F1 in the Constructors’ Championship.

Lando Norris (6th): “The day went well for us – you can hardly expect more. I finished 6th and also drove the best lap of the race, so I was the fastest today! I am happy that we were able to close the championship on a high note, which will give the whole team a new energy boost for the winter season.

We fought to the end, did everything we could, including Daniel finishing ninth, but the miracle our team needed to beat Alpine in the Constructors’ Championship didn’t happen. Overall, we finished the season in the position we deserved.

Maybe it was one of our best weekends, judging by our pace compared to the pace of the leaders, and this is a positive moment. But the season as a whole was uneven – there were certainly fewer successes than we would like. This is due to the specifics of our car – by the way, today there were also manifestations of understeer.

For me, the most important thing is that the front wheels keep the track normal, and how the rear tires work is not so important. If the front wheels provide enough grip, we can show high speeds. When we put on new sets of tires today, we went really fast right away, but after five or six laps the rubber lost its effectiveness.

As soon as the front tires wore out, we immediately started losing a second per lap, and this is all due to the fact that the front end is overworked on the MCL36. However, we have known this for a long time, so next year we have to address this problem.”

Daniel Rickardo (9th): “I was pleased with how the race went, or rather, how it ended. I thought back to the events of the previous leg and thought that if the season finale was just as bad, it would be sour and there would be an unpleasant taste. But today I saw the black and white checkered flag, earned points and held back Sebastian Vettel’s attacks in the last ten laps.

It was fun and when I crossed the finish line I knew I had done my best so I feel a certain satisfaction. Of course there were races this season where I felt more comfortable behind the wheel of a McLaren car, and then I tried to calm myself down by saying that we had finally sorted out the issues, but after a week we rolled back. Difficulties were precisely associated with this instability. And yet I’m happy to have had some good races after the summer break.

Through the years of my career in Formula 1 I have learned to look to the future. We give ourselves completely to work, spend so much time on it, and if something does not work out, it is very easy to get angry with ourselves, experience disappointment and get caught up in negative emotions. But I learned to think in the future, and this allowed me to continue to enjoy and love the work I do.

Everyone has bad days, but we understand that it is a real privilege to participate in such a wonderful sport as Formula 1. However, I think that the ability to look into the future can be useful in any business and helps to move forward.

When we talk about next year, there is a good chance that I will be working with Red Bull Racing. Until the contract is signed, of course, I cannot speak about it with 100% certainty. But most likely this scenario will come true, although it is unlikely that I will get to all 24 stages of the season – I made it a condition that I need time to relax and do my own thing. But I will show up in the paddock and I hope to keep in touch with the Formula 1 world.”