Norris: 'No regrets' despite mistakes hurting championship bid
Lando Norris currently trails McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by nine points in the Drivers' standings. However, the gap could've been longer and in favor of the Brit, had he not made several blunders along the way. Does he regret the mistakes that have so far hindered his championship-fighting run?
Speaking ahead of the Dutch GP Norris was asked for his take on whether or not he regretted his mistakes earlier on in the season, and the way they have played out in the championship fight.
"I mean, could I have at times made maybe better decisions? I think so.
"If I had that thought a little bit more in my head at the time, probably the main one was China sprint qualifying [where] I think my lap was good enough for pole.
"And so the final hairpin where I locked up if I had that thought probably just before the braking: 'it's a long season, don't try and be a hero', then I wouldn't have finished it. I mean, I lost eight points there."
His crash in Q3 in Saudi Arabia also hurt his championship bid where on race day he had to settle for a P4. Bahrain was another qualifying session that went awry for Norris. Nevertheless the Brit skimps past those race and eyes the first crash he had with teammate Piastri.
"If I go back to Canada, if I could rerun that and just be a little bit smarter and not take so much risk, could I have not lost quite a few points there? Yes."
'Norris not the guy to regret mistakes, but wishes he had do-overs'
The Brit then enters a philosophical narrative that affirms what he denies, and viceversa, in a rather confusing statement regarding him not regretting his past mistakes.
"I don't know, but I'm also the guy that, I wouldn't say I regret those moments.
"I mean, do I wish it changed? And do I wish it was better? Do I wish I could maybe do it again? Yeah.
"But at the same time, I don't regret really making those decisions at the time, because I think that's me, that's life and that's the way it goes.
"Sometimes it goes your way and you get lucky, sometimes it goes the other way and you don't make the best decisions.
"But there's also the times you quite often learn the most and help yourself more for the future.
"I think for me, in my life, I live it more by not regretting what I've done, [and] more trying to learn and improve from that point on.
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