P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lando Norris admitted McLaren was “fighting a losing battle” against Ferrari in Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka once
Heading into the weekend, McLaren was feeling optimistic after scoring a double podium at Suzuka last season and maintaining the high-speed strengths in its car from the previous model. Despite starting third on the grid, Norris was unable to keep up with the Ferrari drivers during the race and finished in fifth place. Ferrari demonstrated strong race management at Suzuka with Leclerc’s one-stop and Sainz’s two-stop strategy during the final stint. Norris acknowledged that McLaren had expected to fall behind Ferrari but found encouragement in the small gap to the Italian team during race conditions. While Ferrari took bold strategic decisions, Norris felt McLaren may have been too cautious, especially evident in his second pit stop. Ultimately, Norris believes there are learnings to be taken from the race, particularly in terms of strategy and tire management moving forward.
