"This is a weekend when it counts, and I've just made too many mistakes. And it just annoys me to such a high level," says Lando Norris, who admits Sprint victor Oscar Piastri has outperformed him so far in Qatar; Piastri reflects on maiden F1 success after holding off Max Verstappen
Saturday 7 October 2023 22:07, UK
Lando Norris admitted he had been left "hurt" after mistakes saw him miss out on a maiden Formula 1 Sprint victory as his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri triumphed in Qatar.
Norris, considered perhaps the biggest talent on the grid without a race or Sprint victory, has spearheaded McLaren's stunning resurgence, finishing second in four of the last seven Grand Prix.
However, presented with a car capable of challenging for victory at the Losail International Circuit, an error in Saturday's Sprint shootout and a poor start to the shortened race cost Norris the chance to break his duck, as he ultimately finished third behind Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who sealed the world championship.
The 23-year-old insisted that it was his own errors, rather than his rookie team-mate's maiden victory, that had left him feeling low ahead of Sunday's race, which he will start from 10th after twice exceeding track limits in the final part of qualifying on Friday.
"It's never the nicest feeling, but it's not what hurts me," Norris said. "It just hurts me that I've messed up this morning, I should be on pole, and should at least be P1 and P2 yesterday for the race tomorrow.
"So I guess it's just when it counts, this is a weekend when it counts, and I've just made too many mistakes. And it just annoys me to such a high level.
"I guess some of it's about trying to reset and refocus and not think of it, but it's impossible for me to not think of it, you know, so just frustrating.
"But Oscar's done a better job than me this weekend, and he deserves to be in the position he has done today. I'm starting where I deserve to be because I've just done a bad job, you know?
"So it is frustrating, especially when the car is so good and the team have done such a good job to improve so many things and give us these chances to fight for pole and to fight for wins.
"And then just when I don't deliver on my role, it's frustrating and I let myself down.
"So it's tough, but to come away with the double podium today kind of makes it a little bit better and therefore I'm just very happy for the team."
While Norris has long been considered McLaren's prized asset, Piastri is fast establishing himself as another star of the sport.
The 22-year-old Australian is undoubtedly justifying the hype that accompanied his entry to F1, and produced another hugely mature display to back up a first Grand Prix podium last time out in Japan.
While admitting he had some pre-race nerves as he started from the front for the first time, the fact that Piastri found holding off Verstappen in the closing laps "pretty comfortable" says much about the rookie's confidence.
"I was nervous starting from the front," Piastri told Sky Sports F1. "I guess the intrusive thought as you can only go one way and it's not forwards.
"But I was confident that we could at least, maybe not win the Sprint, but stay in the top two or top three.
"First Sprint win sounds pretty cool."
Piastri held the lead at the start, but was overtaken after the first of three Safety Car periods by the Mercedes of George Russell, with the Brit on faster warming-up but less durable softer tyres.
Piastri didn't panic, eventually easing back past the Mercedes later in the race, but crucially saving enough life in his medium tyres to be able to keep the charging Verstappen at bay in the closing stages.
"We capitalised on the opportunities that we had in the Sprint," Piastri said. "Obviously, the guys starting on soft made life difficult for us at the start, but in the end, that's what gave me the buffer to Max. So yeah, very, very happy.
"I just tried to drive as quick as I could. I think with the Safety Car at the end, I knew that was my time to try to build a gap whilst he was stuck behind George and I knew in the high-speed stuff I could see, you know when I passed George, how slow he was in the quick corners and that's where I needed to use my pace and built up a big enough margin that it was semi-comfortable.
"It's never fully comfortable when you've got a Red Bull of Max behind you, but no, it was a pleasant surprise how quick we were at the end, so encouraging for tomorrow.
"There I think the first lap or two, yes. But then honestly the last two laps I was pretty comfortable, which is a nice place to be."
Watch Max Verstappen's first race as a three-time world champion in the Qatar GP on Sunday live on Sky Sports F1. The race starts at 6pm with build-up from 4.30pm. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW for £21 a month for six months
