Frustration at Silverstone: Lando Norris Laments McLaren’s Missed Victory Opportunity at British Grand Prix

‘We lost our opportunity’ – Lando Norris expresses frustration as McLaren misses out on potential win

Lando Norris concedes that McLaren "lost their chance" to secure a victory at the British Grand Prix.

Lando Norris claims that McLaren squandered their opportunity to win the F1 British Grand Prix on Sunday.

Norris surged ahead by passing Max Verstappen along with Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the initial laps at Silverstone. However, a problematic second pit stop dashed his hopes of winning.

The British driver remained on the track for an extra lap compared to his competitors before changing to soft tires, but he missed his pit box, causing a delay. This allowed Hamilton to gain an advantage through an undercut.

"We lost it at the last moment," Norris confessed to reporters, including those from Crash.net. "It came down to a single lap, but I don't believe it was a perfect lap. Even if I had completed the ideal lap, our choice to switch to soft tires was a mistake."

"In my opinion, Lewis would have emerged victorious regardless of the circumstances. However, two decisions on our part led to our complete downfall today. It's quite disheartening, especially at this venue."

McLaren's team principal Andrea Stella admitted that his team was "overly swayed" by Hamilton's choice to switch to soft tires in an attempt to counter the Mercedes driver's strategy.

"In that situation, we decided to consult Lando about his preferences and what our next steps should be. One thing we didn't ask, however, was whether he thought it would be difficult," he clarified.

"The discussion with Lando revolved around whether using the C2 compound in these conditions would be difficult. However, it turned out not to be as challenging as expected, as Verstappen successfully made the switch to dry tyres without significant problems, even using a hard compound."

"In my opinion, this was a choice that we, as a team, should have made ourselves. Similar to when we decided to stop Oscar during the double stack, we should have taken accountability and opted for the medium tyres, recognizing them as the correct option."

"We second-guessed ourselves after consulting with Lando, which ultimately led us to take this path that proved to be crucial in retrospect."

In recent races, McLaren has boasted some of the quickest cars on the track. However, Norris was certain that the team did not have the speed necessary to secure a victory at Silverstone if the weather remained dry.

Norris commented that they obviously didn't have enough speed today. He noted that when the track was fully dry, the Mercedes cars were significantly faster.

In the more challenging conditions, it appeared that we had an advantage. However, there is still work ahead for us. Overall, it was a weekend where we were undeniably the fastest. While we've consistently performed well, we've never had the fastest car before.

"It's important for us to continue collaborating as a team. I also need to focus on my individual tasks. We should aim to combine our efforts because there are still numerous benefits to be gained."

"There are numerous positives and structures already established. It's exasperating when, on several occasions this season, we've let slip opportunities that rightfully belonged to us."

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