Lando Norris converted pole position into a third-place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix, with the McLaren driver left frustrated after a combination of timing and pit-stop setbacks cost him a potential victory.Starting from the front was particularly valuable at the new Madrid circuit, where overtaking proved difficult. However, Norris was unable to capitalise on his qualifying advantage after the Virtual Safety Car was deployed just after he had passed the pit-lane entry.McLaren was then hit by another setback during Norris’s only pit stop, with the delay costing him further time. By the chequered flag, he had finished behind Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen.Speaking after the race, Norris admitted that the result was difficult to accept, as he believed McLaren had the pace to win.
“The VSC came out just after I had passed the pit-lane entry, so there was nothing I could do at that point. It is something I will discuss with the team. Congratulations to Kimi and Max they both did a very good job today. Unfortunately, things simply did not go our way.We were then unlucky again during the pit stop. I lost around 20 seconds in the pit lane, and that was something neither I nor the team could control.Ultimately, victory goes to the driver who puts together the strongest race and sometimes makes the right decision at the right moment. Taking a risk and staying out in the hope of a Safety Car can make a significant difference, and that is part of racing.Today’s result is frustrating and, in some ways, feels unfair. I have experienced situations like this before, but it does not make them any easier. Overtaking is extremely difficult here, so we knew how important track position would be.I genuinely felt we had done enough to win today, but that is motorsport. We have to accept the result, however disappointing it is, and focus on the next opportunity.We need to keep pushing and continue working hard. Our rivals are performing extremely well, and the battle at the front is incredibly competitive. There will be more opportunities for us to fight for victories, although I honestly do not expect Baku to be one of them.There are so many slow corners in Baku and virtually no high-speed sections, so there will not be many places where we can make a difference through overtaking.We managed to find strong performance here, particularly in qualifying, where we were faster than expected. That was a pleasant surprise and gave us a lot of confidence.”
