Lando Norris’ peak season at the top of the Formula 1 grid continued on Sunday with a podium finish in the Austrian Grand Prix.
The Somerset-bred McLaren driver, starting second on the grid, rode beautifully to finish third behind winner Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas, beating reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen was a big winner at the Red Bull Ring, extending his lead atop the Drivers’ Championship, but it was Norris who received much of the applause for near flawless driving after being severely punished with a penalty of five seconds for an early incident with Sergio Perez.
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Glastonbury’s Norris is now fourth overall, breaking through the 100 point mark and his total last season as he clinched his third podium of the campaign, pursuing immense form of form that saw him finish in the top five in total. but one of nine races to date.
Britain’s third Lando Norris and McLaren F1 celebrate in the parc fermé during the Austrian F1 Grand Prix (Image: Getty Images)
“It was a lot of fun, a good race, but I’m disappointed because we should have been second,” said Norris.
“I thought the first lap (Perez incident) was just a race. He tried to go around the outside which was stupid. He himself went off the track and I didn’t push him. I’m frustrated. but happy with the third place.
“This is the first race I have been able to run in a Mercedes and I hope we can continue.”
Hamilton was second for the majority of Sunday’s 71-lap race, but couldn’t keep Bottas and Norris behind as he tended to his injured Mercedes after sustaining damage while running on the sidewalks at Turn 10.
Initially, Bottas was told by Mercedes’ pit wall not to race Hamilton, hoping his star driver would be able to hang on to second place and limit the championship damage to rival Verstappen.
But with Norris breathing down Bottas’ neck, Hamilton was asked to concede the position with 19 laps to go.
Two laps later, Norris, on the most impressive afternoon of his three-season Formula 1 career, then shifted to Hamilton’s gearbox before hitting with a nice movement on the sixth left-hand corner. The world champion stopped at the end of the lap and his chances for the podium were lost.
After his fifth winless race, Hamilton told Sky Sports: “I already said before the race that it would be very difficult to beat Max.
Lando Norris, third (Image: Getty Images)
“It was frustrating to lose so much downforce in the back of the car and not be able to hold on to second place. That’s a lot of lost points today.
“I didn’t go on the sidewalks any more than anyone else, so I have no idea where the damage happened, but there was a lot of damage. I would be done. an easy second and all of a sudden it broke. “
Hamilton added: “We’re miles away from them (Red Bull) so we have a lot of work to do. We need all hands on deck.
“We have to make improvements and find performance, otherwise that will most often be the result.”
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-04 17:36:26
