Norris heartbreak: "I don't know where to start, unhappy and devastated"

F1 News

26 September 2021 at 15:00

Lando Norris was in control of the Russian Grand Prix. He led for the majority of the race, but McLaren and the British driver made the wrong call to stay out in the rain in the final few laps of the race. In the end, Norris finished seventh and secured the bonus point for the fastest lap. 

Heartbreak 

Rain threatened throughout the race but it never came until the final few laps. He was battling Lewis Hamilton out on the circuit and the Mercedes driver pitted for the intermediates. Norris explains his thoughts during this moment. 

"I don't know where to start. Unhappy. Devastated. We made the call to stay out and we stand by that. It was the wrong one at the end of the day. I made the decision just as much as the team. In fact, it was more they thought I should box, my decision to stay out. I thought it was the way to go," a tearful Norris told Sky Sports. 

"It gives me self confidence. It doesn't change too much, I felt capable of doing it for a while. Just a bit of heartbreak. I felt like I did everything I could. Made a few mistakes but kept Lewis behind. I got told the rain was going to stay the same, if it did it was the right decsion. It got a lot wetter than we expected. Especially when there are only two laps to go. Maybe with 20 laps to go, you're not as aggressive. We did what we thought was right. The guys did a great job all weekend," Norris added.