Lando Norris surprised himself by finishing second in the Chinese Grand Prix. He had not anticipated being on the podium and had expected Ferrari to be far ahead of McLaren.
During the first safety car period, Norris seized the opportunity to pit and switch to hard tires. This move allowed him to re-enter the race ahead of Sergio Perez. Despite Perez’s efforts, he was unable to regain the position and Norris secured a podium finish. Norris expressed his surprise at his performance.
“I am delighted. I am happy for the whole team. They deserved it, there were great pit stops,” said Norris. “Today everything just went well, I’m not sure why.”
“I really didn’t expect to have such a race, but it felt comfortable. I managed the tires well, which was easier than on Saturday. I could push hard. The car felt good and I felt at ease. It was a great day, good points, and another podium finish. I’m very happy.”
Before the race, Norris had predicted that he would finish far behind the Ferraris. However, he ended up crossing the finish line about ten seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
“I made a guess about how far behind the Ferraris we would be,” Norris shared. “I thought it would be 35 seconds, but I was clearly mistaken. I’m glad I was so wrong.”