Despite Lando Norris having to concede victory in the United States Grand Prix to Max Verstappen, the British driver expressed relief and satisfaction with his second-place finish after the race. “I’m happy, this was the best we could achieve today,” he said.
Norris lost his second place at the start to Charles Leclerc, who started on soft tires. The Ferrari driver then held his ground for a long time in a battle with his McLaren rival. Even after the pit stop, it seemed like Leclerc would be able to keep Norris behind him until the end of the race. However, the Brit managed to overtake him in the final stages.
“It was a good fight,” Norris reflected. “I just thought it would be easier to reclaim second place. Sometimes you have to ease off and then try again. Fortunately, that worked in the final stages.”
The Brit described it as a ‘good day’. As a result of his performance, he closed the gap on World Championship leader and teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished fifth in Austin. Norris was 22 points behind the Australian, but now the gap is only 14. However, the Englishman saw his lead over pursuer Verstappen shrink from 33 to 26 points.
