Lando Norris Reveals the One Decision that Cost Him Victory at the Canadian GP

Lando Norris, McLaren’s young racing prodigy, has shared his key regret from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix—failing to push earlier during his second stint. Norris unleashed a blistering pace on the Intermediates, catching up to Max Verstappen and George Russell to make thrilling successive overtakes. Despite these impressive maneuvers, he ended up lamenting a tactical misjudgment that might have cost him the win.

Norris managed to open up a nearly eight-second lead at one point, but timing was not on his side. McLaren pitted one lap too late under a Safety Car, dropping him back to third. Despite that setback, the team managed to prolong his switch to the slicks strategically, helping him build a gap to reemerge in first place. It seemed like a brilliant recovery until a wet pit exit allowed Verstappen to breeze past him.

Red Bull's Christian Horner is convinced an earlier stop could have handed McLaren the victory. Norris, however, isn’t buying it. He argued that maintaining heat in the slick tires was incredibly challenging, making it unrealistic for McLaren to maintain their lead under those conditions. “I mean, it takes a lap, two laps to warm up the tires,” Norris explained. “You’re always going to have an overcut type of race in that situation because a cold slick is not going to be as good as the Intermediate at the end of the stint.”

That pit exit was a critical moment, but it didn't steal the race from Norris due to his exceptional driving. Yet, he acknowledges that he could have been in a better position to hold onto his lead if he had been more aggressive early on. “But we were too far behind Max in the first place. I probably pushed too late on that Intermediate tire in the middle stint,” he conceded, reflecting on how his reserved approach early on may have cost him later.

The lesson for Norris is clear: Aggression early in the stints can sometimes pay off. “I probably could have got past George basically one or two laps before the pit stops and close the gap to Max to give myself a better opportunity of undercutting or overcutting him. And we didn’t do that. So that’s more of a hindsight thing,” Norris added, reflecting on missed opportunities that become clear only after the fact.

Norris’s sixth podium finish in just nine races speaks volumes about McLaren’s recent performance surge. Yet the driver is not content with podiums anymore. “We should have won today. I think we’re at a level now where we’re not satisfied with the second, like the target is to win,” he stated, setting a new benchmark for the team’s aspirations.

Second place after such a hard-fought race is still commendable, but it leaves a tinge of frustration for Norris. “So frustrating, but a tough race, and still to end up in second when it could always finish and could be worse is still a good result,” he concluded. McLaren may have missed out on victory this time, but their driver has never been clearer about the path forward: full speed ahead, no reservations.