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'Passive Norris would be "easily overtaken" by Verstappen without red flag'
Christian Klien believes that a "passive" Lando Norris would have been "easily overtaken" by a brilliant Max Verstappen at the Brazilian Grand Prix, even without a red flag. Last Sunday, the Dutchman made a statement at Interlagos during the Grand Prix, all but sealing a fourth consecutive drivers title in Formula 1.
Before the Grand Prix in Sao Paulo got underway, Verstappen started in P17 while Norris lined up on pole position, looking likely to cut the gap to the Dutchman and set up a thrilling championship battle with three races remaining. However, a sublime drive from the Red Bull driver, mastering the treacherous conditions at Interlagos, meant he took victory by almost 20 seconds, while a fading Norris could only muster a P6 finish.
It's a story that has continued throughout the championship and one that will ultimately cost Norris the world championship. Eight pole positions have been taken by the McLaren driver, but only two of them have been converted into race wins, with the 24-year-old not taking advantage of the superior pace of the McLaren.
"Passive" Norris made to pay in Brazil
"Under such conditions, the wheat is separated from the chaff among the drivers. Norris was often the fastest man until the race, he did everything right in the last qualifying session. Max's seventeenth starting place was a huge opportunity for Lando to make up a lot of points on the world champion. In the race, however, he was just too passive."
After the race, Norris claimed that Verstappen was "lucky" with the red flag which meant the Dutchman earned a free pit stop and easily passed the Brit. However, Klien thinks the Red Bull driver would have taken victory anyway: "Max proved that when it's wet, he can beat anyone, even with an inferior car. It was sensational to see how faultless he drove, just bizarre. I maintain that with the pace Max had, he could have easily overtaken Lando even without the race being stopped.
"Lando didn't have the speed that day to fight back against Max. He made another mistake in Turn 1 shortly after the start and Russell took over the lead as a result. As someone who wants to win the world title, that just shouldn't happen. We have seen a couple of times now that Norris fails to cash in on his pole position.
Klien concluded by talking about Norris' struggles at the start: "That is also due to positioning, i.e. how he puts his car down before the first corner. Mistakes are quick in Formula 1, we know that. But they happen less often with the outstanding drivers. And that's real talent that sets them apart from the others."
This article was created in collaboration with Corwin Kunst
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