LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – McLaren’s Lando Norris said it hurt to have his already slim Formula One title hopes finally dashed by Max Verstappen but the championship was lost long before Saturday’s decisive Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Red Bull’s Verstappen finished only fifth in the race but Norris was sixth, with fastest lap, the gap between the pair stretching to an insurmountable 63 points with two races remaining.
“I think Max drove too well. Red Bull and the team did too good of a job for us. And it was just lost in the first six races,” Norris told Sky Sports television as Verstappen celebrated his fourth title in a row.
“It fluctuated a bit but we could just never claw it back from there. We put up a good fight and I look forward to next year being in there from the beginning.”
The Briton congratulated his friend and rival, although conceding it hurt a little bit.
“He drove an incredible season, when he had the quickest car he dominated, when he didn’t he was still there, always on my heels.
“He made my life tough, he made his tough at times I’m sure, but he drove a better season and of course big congrats to him,” he added.
Norris said he had not expected to be in the title fight, repeated his opinion that the opportunity to do so had perhaps come too early for himself and the team, and said he had no regrets.
“You have to drive better when you get to that point and I feel like I have. Really since Zandvoort I feel like I have done close to a perfect job,” he added.
“As much as we liked to believe we were ready, we weren’t and we paid the price a little bit. But also it was us there fighting Max, no-one else.”
McLaren made a slow start to the season, off the podium for the first two races before Norris took third place in Australia, second in China and then a first win in Miami.
Verstappen meanwhile won seven of the first 10 races before the wins dried up and he missed out for the next 10 as others caught up.
McLaren still lead the constructors’ standings but their advantage was reduced to 24 points by Ferrari.
Team boss Andrea Stella joined in the congratulations for Verstappen.
“We are proud that we were challenging him this season, we just lost a bit too many points at the start of the season but then we were there with Verstappen’s pace,” he added.
“The constructors’ championship is open and now our focus will be there.”
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Christian Radnedge)
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