Norris Feels Like He 'Missed Out' After Feeling Faster Than Leclerc In Australia

Sunday, 24 March 2024 at 19:10

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Lando Norris recorded his 14th podium in F1 at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, but he felt like he could have done a little bit better.

The British driver already has 14 podiums in Formula One to his name, but he still hasn't won a race. He didn't get particularly close to that in Australia, as Carlos Sainz was faster than anyone else.

However, Norris was quite close to Sainz's Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, who he even felt like he could have thought if things went differently for him.

After the race, the 24-year-old was asked whether he was surprised by the fact that he got to stand on the podium at the Albert Park Circuit. He provided an honest answer, admitting that after Max Verstappen's retirement, he knew his chances improved.

"I think when you take the Red Bull out of it I would say, no. I think our pace has been good all weekend. We put things together very nicely yesterday. We showed a good long run and high-fuel pace on Friday. So I wouldn't have said we had no chance."

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On top of that, McLaren showed solid pace throughout the weekend, as their lap times on Friday and Saturday showed, but even after achieving a podium, Norris wanted more.

"I didn't expect probably us to be competing against the Ferraris today. I think our pace was not as good as Carlos, but probably better than Charles."

The British driver felt like he could have challenged Leclerc, who was slower of the two Ferraris on Sunday, and because of that, the driver from Bristol couldn't help but think that he "missed out" on an opportunity for a better result.

"So I think if I was being honest we maybe missed out a little bit on an opportunity to be P2 today. But yeah, for us to say that is a good sign. And I think it's a good positive for the whole team. It's a good boost."

Still, he was satisfied, as standing on the podium is still rare for Norris, who made it to the top three in 14 of 107 race starts that he had so far in Formula One.

"It's nice to be back on the podium. Whether or not the Red Bull was there or not our pace was good today and hopefully that continues for more races."