Lando Norris is happy with second place in Mexico City, as he acknowledged Ferrari’s dominance this weekend and said he likes to fight fair…
Q: Lando, great job. How important is this second place to you? Are you satisfied with the result?
Lando Norris: Very satisfied. Usually second place doesn’t suit me, but in this particular case everything could have been worse considering how the first part of the race went.
The car was fast. It’s a shame that I lost so much in the fights in the first period. If I had gone through it without losses, the chances of winning would have been higher. But Carlos rode the first segment perfectly and took a 15 second lead, which I was unable to regain.
Overall a good race. Our pace, especially in the second stint, was very good, which made us feel like we could perform at the same level as Ferrari. They dominated this weekend. I would have liked to be at the top of the podium, but I am also very happy with second place.
Q: You said you lost a lot of time in the first segment. Of course we are talking about your battle with Max Verstappen in the 10th lap. Can you talk about what happened in turns four and eight?
Lando Norris: I don’t think I should comment on this. Everything is clear there. I acted according to the rules, these incidents should not have happened, but they did and he was fined.
I have already said that I expect strong opposition from Max in every race. It doesn’t matter if he finishes in front or behind, his only job is to beat me in the race. And he will sacrifice himself for this, as he did today. I love fighting him, I love a tough fight. But fair. It will always be difficult with Max. He won’t make life easier for anyone, especially me right now. But today it was a nasty fight, so he got what he got.
Q: Did you feel like he was even tougher today than he was last week in Austin?
Lando Norris: I think so.
Question: Would you like to talk to Max about this?
Lando Norris: We talk to him about different things. This is not my job. Somehow it has nothing to do with me. Today I felt like I had to avoid collisions and that’s not the kind of fight you want to see in a race.
Max has a big lead in the championship. He is way ahead and risks nothing. People may say it’s the other way around, that he has something to lose, but I don’t care. But that’s not true. This isn’t for me. I do my job, which I did well today. And I’m happy with that, happy with my weekend. But it’s not my job to control Max. He knows how to drive. I’m sure he realizes he crossed a line today.
Question: You said he has a very strong position in the championship, but today you lost 10 points to him. Is this encouraging?
Lando Norris: Now I’m 47 points behind him, and I don’t feel like I’m any closer to the title. Now every point is important. Charles drove the fastest lap at the end of the race and took this point from me. Don’t know. I just mind my own business and concentrate on the outcome. Just like our entire team. We have many rivals, but we keep moving forward.
Q: In Austria and Austin, Max was not fined, although you and McLaren believed he was wrong. How important is it to you psychologically that this fine was in your favor?
Lando Norris: Today I am not happy about this. I’m happy that I came second.
I don’t think there was anything to atone for in Austria. We both did something wrong in Austin. I feel like I was forced to do something wrong. Most people, most racers, think this was wrong, so you’ve probably heard of some rule changes that could happen soon. There is general agreement that last weekend’s result was wrong.
In Mexico City the situation is completely different. I literally had to avoid collisions. That’s the difference. I can’t speak for him, maybe he will say something different. But today was too far from the rules. And the stewards think so too. I don’t consider this a victory or anything like that, I hope Max realizes he has crossed the line.
Q: I know you want good, clean fights with Max. You’ve said how much you’ve enjoyed it in the past. But like you said, he’s willing to sacrifice himself to get ahead. Will it be possible to give him a fair fight in the last four races of this season?
Lando Norris: I have always fought fair. This is my style. Maybe sometimes I lost because I was too honest and not aggressive enough. And I have to find a better balance in that. Since last weekend and throughout the year I have changed a number of things, because in the fight against such opponents it is important to feel the balance between attack and defense, to control risks and aggression. But this has nothing to do with me. I will always do my best. I will fight fair. If he doesn’t want to fight fair, everything will end like today. But I think he wants to run a fair race. I hope so.
Question: Did you try to let Max pass as you entered Turn 7? He was just trying to overtake from the inside…
Lando Norris: You can see how far off track he went. I shouldn’t have missed Max. I was in front at the apex of Turn 4 trying to avoid a collision. Then it happened again in turn seven.
Max acted overly aggressively and also overtook him off the track, although he says he drove according to the rules. This was his biggest line after the weekend in Austin, and today he wrapped it up off the track. I think the battle will be even tougher next weekend.
Source: F1 News

I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.