F1 News
Norris not expecting much from Sunday: "A damage limitation weekend"
After dominating the opening race of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Australian Grand Prix, many thought that Lando Norris would come to the Chinese Grand Prix and continue with that fine pace shown. After dominating the only free practice session of the weekend, it looked like that would be the case. However, it has not been, and now, for Sunday's Grand Prix, the Brit is looking at just "damage limitation".
After finishing five-tenths ahead of the rest of the field after FP1, Norris looked in supreme form. However, he could not take that into sprint qualifying later in the day, only setting the sixth fastest time of the session. Then, in the sprint race, a poor start meant he stopped three places to P9 and out of the points for that race. He did make it back up to P8 to gain a solitary point, but it was not the performance many expected to see,
He was able to find a bit more pace in qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix as he took third, but his teammate Oscar Piastri was able to find more speed around the Shanghai International Circuit, taking pole position, with George Russell and Mercedes in between the two papaya-coloured cars.
Norris "can't exploit" his driving in China
Speaking at the drivers' parade before the Grand Prix, Norris was first asked whether pole was possible for him yesterday: "It doesn't really make a difference now, does it? I didn't do the lap, I didn't put it together, and Oscar did, and he deserved it. I had the car, obviously I had the pace. I'm in the same car as him, and the potential was there. It's up to the driver then to put it together and do it when it counts, and I didn't do it yesterday. I'm still in a good position, P3, I'm so happy with that. I can fight and I'm in for some good points. It's a long season, so I can't complain about P3."
However, it is clear that the Brit has struggled in Shanghai with his McLaren: "It has a balance which I really do not like, and I can't exploit my good style of driving, let's say, with how the car is on track when it's a front limitation, when it's understeering. I'm not worried about it. I know it's more of like a make-do with what I have got this weekend. It's a bit more of a damage-limitation weekend for me, but I'm still optimistic.
"I want to put in a good race So I'm going to go forward and I want to try and go for the win But at the same time I know it's not going to be my my strongest second of the year," concluded Norris.
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