NORRIS: “IF VERSTAPPEN HAD STARTED THE RACE AHEAD”
Luck for the race seemed to be McLaren’s favor as Lando Norris obtained the pole in the qualifying laps, which were postponed to Sunday morning, and Max Verstappen would start the race from 17th place.
However, a series of events in Sao Paulo allowed Verstappen to achieve his first win since June at the end of the 69 rounds; Norris crossed the line in sixth place.
The Verstappen and Alpine pilots, who preferred to stay on the pit after most of the grid entered the pit, gained the advantage of changing the tire after the red flags caused by Franco Colapinto’s accident.
Norris said: “I don’t regret going into the pit, we were just unlucky.”
“The rule of changing tires under the red flag is actually a stupid rule that no one accepts. You always accept it when it benefits you.”
“This is a very unfortunate situation, but that’s the rule. Sometimes you get an advantage, sometimes others. They got it today.”
Norris added that Red Bull is at a different level with its performance in difficult conditions in Sao Paulo.
The McLaren driver said, “I did my best today, that’s all.”
“Max was faster than us, and if he was ahead, he would probably have given us a lap. Red Bull was really fast today.”
“He was probably going to beat us anyway, but we had bad luck. Of course, I made a few mistakes that I could accept and it cost me a few positions.”
“It was definitely a bumpy weekend, there’s not much I can do about it today,” he said.
