P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Norris ‘lucky’ to fight back to Qatar Sprint podium
Lando Norris acknowledges that he was fortunate to secure a podium finish in the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint race. Despite starting on the Medium tyre compared to his rivals’ Soft tyres, Norris briefly dropped to sixth place initially. However, as the Soft runners experienced a decline in performance towards the end, Norris capitalized on the final Safety Car period to overtake both Ferrari drivers and George Russell, ultimately clinching a podium position. Norris admitted that the presence of multiple Safety Cars played a crucial role in his success, suggesting that the Medium tyre selection would have been challenging without them. He also commended his teammate Oscar Piastri for his consistent performance throughout the weekend, which culminated in Piastri’s first Formula 1 victory. Norris took responsibility for his own mistakes and acknowledged Piastri’s superior performance. Despite a difficult start, Norris expressed satisfaction with his overtakes and the team’s overall result, calling it a great day for McLaren.
Source: RacingNews 365
