Norris afraid he'd lose to 'gamblers': 'Right call made in half a second'
F1 News
As Lando Norris was driving to his first win of the season at the Australian Grand Prix, there were many dangers that could have prevented his eventual success. Ghosts of past defeats from McLaren's own mistakes certainly crepped in, but also the habitual gamblers in the midfield who take a chance, make it stick, and come out on top at the end, something Norris feared and did his best to mitigate.
The 2024 British Grand Prix ghost creeps in
"We lost out on a few races last year. Not even ones where it was a guaranteed win, but I think Silverstone was probably a guaranteed win. I don’t know what call we made, but it was a shocking one and we accepted that," said Norris to media during the post race press conference, before explaining in detail one of the fears he experiences when he's leading the pack in tough conditions.
"It’s a difficult situation being first and not knowing what to do with tyres. You just know someone behind will get it right behind you, because they’re going to gamble something, and it’ll work out for them. I didn’t want to lose out to someone in the middle of the pack who gambled and somehow won," added the 2025 Australian Grand Prix winner.
Norris embraces lead role to take chaotic win
How to prevent that? Norris' experience then shines through. "I was just making sure we were prepared. I was making sure the guys on the pit wall and everyone back in Mission Control at MTC were aware of what was going on. Making sure we were on top of it, ready to make the right call. That right call was made literally half a second before I boxed, as I was still trying to save the car and didn’t shunt. It turned out to be the right decision."
What was the trick in the end to make sure McLaren got it right? Assuming the lead driver's role and the responsibility that comes with it. "It was more about relaying information and making sure we’re not overdoing it, a good amount of information—giving them my feelings."