Lando Norris Analyzes His Recovery to Third Place in the Bahrain Grand Prix

British racing driver Lando Norris was pleased with his recovery to third place in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but lamented a “messy race” where he narrowly missed out on second position against George Russell.

Penalty and On-Track Battles Highlight Norris’ Race

Starting the grand prix strongly, Norris found himself in third place. However, he received a five-second penalty for rolling too far over his grid box at the start. Despite being in the correct position, he misjudged how far forward he was and slightly pulled ahead.

Before his first pit stop, Norris was close to Russell. His undercut helped reduce some of the penalty, but he needed to make up ground to catch up with Russell.

Following a safety car deployment on lap 32 due to debris, Norris was overtaken by both Ferraris. He managed to pass Lewis Hamilton and reclaim fourth, only to give the position back as McLaren expressed concerns about an off-track excursion at Turn 4.

Norris regained his position but spent a considerable amount of time battling with Charles Leclerc. Several unsuccessful overtaking attempts ensued, with one that Norris labeled himself a “muppet” for. Eventually, he successfully passed Leclerc on lap 52 at Turn 4.

Reflecting on the race, Norris admitted, “I didn’t realize I was that far forward in the grid box, I guess, nothing more than that.” He added, “It was a tough race for me; I made too many mistakes with the overtakes, being out of position, it was a messy race for me and I’m disappointed not to bring home a 1-2 for McLaren as that would have been lovely at home. A tough one, but still a few positives.

As Russell experienced various electrical issues and soft-tyre degradation, he came within reach of Norris. However, Norris was unable to capitalize on the opportunity despite several attempts.

Congratulating Russell’s efforts, Norris vowed to “step it up” in Saudi Arabia after a challenging Bahrain weekend. Russell is currently under investigation by the stewards following continued car troubles – Russell reported that he had accidentally activated the radio button instead of the DRS.

George did a good job, and I thought I’d be able to get him,” Norris said. “But I guess he was probably just saving a little bit before the end. And he did well.” Norris also congratulated his teammate Oscar Piastri and the entire McLaren team, promising to improve for the next race.