Las Vegas Grand Prix: Lando Norris ‘wasn’t ready’ for Formula One title fight
Briton admits the loss in Brazil earlier this month – when he finished 6th from pole – had been a bitter blow and his hopes were almost over
McLaren’s Lando Norris said he was probably not ready to challenge Max Verstappen for the Formula One title this season and accepted that his hopes were effectively over after a demoralising defeat in Brazil earlier this month.
The Briton told reporters on Wednesday ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix that the race at Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit had been a bitter blow. Norris started on pole but finished sixth while Red Bull’s Verstappen went from 17th to first.
Verstappen will be crowned world champion for the fourth year in a row if he beats Norris in Las Vegas this weekend.
“It was a defining moment for the championship. The doors are almost shut,” said Norris, now 62 points behind the triple world champion with three rounds remaining.
“For a week, I was pretty down after Brazil because I had that realisation of things are pretty much out of my control now, not within reach necessarily.
“That’s a tough realisation when hopes and your belief is so high. For it to get knocked down so much all of a sudden was pretty demoralising and not the best of feelings. But you learn to accept that’s life.”
