F1 News

Hamilton will be past me in a couple of laps

"Hamilton will be past me in a couple of laps"

09-10-2021 14:33
11

Lewis Hamilton starts out of position as a result of a grid penalty. The Mercedes team install a fourth internal combustion engine and therefore the Brit will start from 11th rather than pole position which he earned in qualifying. Lando Norris will start ahead in P7, but doesn't expect to hold off Hamilton for long. 

Battle with Hamilton

Two weeks ago in Russia, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton looked set for a battle in the closing stages. The rain removed this as Norris didn't pit for intermediates. The McLaren driver expects to be beaten again. 

"I [get a bump up] but probably not for long. He'll be past me in a couple of laps. I am just realistic. I'm not going to say I'll beat him because I'm not. I'm just not a dreamer," Norris told Sky Sports.

Teammate trouble

Over recent weeks, Daniel Ricciardo looks to be back on form. But he got caught out in Q1 with tricky conditions. The McLaren car struggled to work well with the soft tyre. Norris explains his feelings about his own performance and the soft tyres. 

"A tough day, we're not quick enough really. I thought yesterday we'll have more pace in the bag. The others had more to unlock than we did. P8 doesn't sound good but I have to be happy with that. I won't say it's scratching heads. We understand it reasonably well as a team. The softs with our car and how you have to drive it isn't a good combination. It's not a big surprise, it's just frustrating because we put the softest tyre on and you expected to push a bit more but in a way it's the opposite to that," Norris added.