Norris: On Team Tactics – A Question for the Team

Lando Norris started from pole and finished only third – and spoke about the reasons…

Q: Lando, how do you rate the results of the Italian Grand Prix?
Lando Norris: I am disappointed. I think the reasons are clear.

Charles had a great race. It’s hard to say if we could have done what he did, but they deserved to win, and I started from pole, was fast, but finished third. It’s a shame, but these are the results.

Q: On the radio you talked about the severe wear of the left front tire. Did you consider a one-stop strategy?
Lando Norris: We tried, we knew it would be faster, but we destroyed the tyres too quickly. For us the one-stop strategy was very risky, I take my hat off to Charles and Ferrari – in such a situation a lot depends on the steering.

We thought about it and wanted to do it. They just couldn’t. Our car was fast in qualifying, but in the race it wasn’t that effective.

Q: When did you realise you would be racing with two pit stops?
Lando Norris: When I made the second pit stop.

Q: The team allowed you and your partner to fight each other, according to the rules. What are these rules?
Lando Norris: Do not cause accidents.

Q: Was Oscar’s attack at the second chicane on the first lap within the rules?
Lando Norris: Yes, because there was no contact. He did everything perfectly.

Q: You’ve closed the gap to Max Verstappen to 62 points with eight races left in the season. How do you rate your chances of winning the title?
Lando Norris: Every weekend I answer this question. I do my best, the more points I get the better. There are still eight races to go.

Q: Do you need help from a partner?
Lando Norris: Yes, and he helps me. But I’m not here to beg someone to let me through. I’m here to race. He ran a better race than me, so I came in third, which was the place I deserved.

Q: Oscar is over 100 points behind. Given that you are much closer to Max, do you think you need McLaren’s full support in the fight for the title?
Lando Norris: It doesn’t depend on me. About team tactics – a question for the team. This is a difficult question. None of the drivers want it to end like this.

I wouldn’t say we’re running out of time, although it’s running out, but I still believe I can win the title. We have a fast car, one of the best, if not the best. I don’t know. It’s not for me to decide. It’s a team thing, but I think we still work well together. We help each other, and we’ve shown that more than once this year.

But yes, in the fight for the championship every little thing is important. I do everything I can. The best way is to win races. And in Monza it was not possible.

Q: You said on TV that if you could turn back time, you would have done the first round differently. What would you do differently?
Lando Norris: I would just slow down a bit later. But sometimes that is easier said than done. You know, Oscar slammed on the brakes and left me with only one car. I knew that if I braked two meters too late, it could lead to an accident. Of course, I was in no hurry. I saw that we had a huge gap behind us. Maybe I was too cautious and paid for it.