Norris admits F1 title was “not looking as likely” after Piastri spin.
Lando Norris admitted that the thought the World Championship was “not looking as likely) after team mate Oscar Piastri was nudged into a spin by Max Verstappen on the first lap in Abu Dhabi.
Dec 9, 2024
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog

The incident left Norris on his own out front with no margin for error while Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were set to bag big points. In the end victory for Norris was enough to secure the championship despite the Ferrari drivers securing the other podium places.

“Today was a very special day for all of us,” said Norris. “It was ours to lose today and I’m sure at certain moments people thought that it was not far away from being lost. Two Ferraris up there, and Charles doing a great job to get back to the podium.

“It was ours to lose today”;

https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/09/...-piastri-spin/


Mark Hughes: How McLaren narrowly avoided Ferrari title upset
Dec 8, 2024
Mark Hughes
The Race

In the end it was pretty straightforward for Lando Norris and McLaren to win the race and the constructors' title respectively on Sunday in Abu Dhabi. Even with the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri being spun out of contention in the opening seconds after contact with Max Verstappen. But it wasn't always that way.

A further early lap incident - hitting Franco Colapinto - for Piastri after rejoining at the back, for which he received a penalty, meant Norris didn’t ever have a rear gunner to aid his task, as Carlos Sainz tracked him.

But Norris didn’t need one, as it turned out. He always had enough of an edge to keep the Ferrari out of range, an advantage which only increased in the second stint as most traded their mediums for hards. But there were a few tense moments, not least when Norris was struggling in dirty air when lapping backmarkers with eight laps to go.

‘McLaren narrowly avoided Ferrari title upset’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...1-title-upset/


Norris battled nerves in Abu Dhabi GP after Leclerc opening lap
08/12/2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Lando Norris admitted that Charles Leclerc's stunning recovery from the back of the grid in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix rattled the McLaren team. The Ferrari driver’s incredible charge through the field, gaining 11 places in the opening lap, inevitably added a layer of tension to McLaren's title defense.

"I was watching the TV screens and I saw Charles was P8 after lap one, so I was a little bit nervous!" Norris recalled. "But I knew I just had to focus on myself, put my head down. Carlos was never far away,” he added. “I think the biggest I got the gap to was, like, 4.2 seconds in the first stint, and that's not a very nice gap in my opinion. It's a bit too close to my comfort.”

"So, it was still a tricky race, and I'm sure there was probably a lot more nervous people on the pitwall and in the garage, knowing what was at stake. I’ve got the adrenaline of the car and focused on that. For them, they're just sitting and watching the screens, and they have a lot more time to think about what can go wrong and all of that.”

“I was a little bit nervous!";

https://f1i.com/news/527215-norris-b...ening-lap.html


Norris: Leclerc's lightning start made McLaren "nervous" over title bid
A chaotic first lap at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix handed Ferrari an outside chance of defeating McLaren after all
Dec 8, 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com

Lando Norris said Charles Leclerc's miracle recovery in Formula 1's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix made McLaren more nervous as it battled the Scuderia for the constructors' championship.

Norris said he was "incredibly proud" to play a part in McLaren getting back to winning ways for its first constructors' trophy in 26 years, while paying tribute to the team's staff across its many departments at the track and at its Woking headquarters.

"The bigger picture of us winning a championship for the first time in 26 years, you wouldn't have thought that when you say the name McLaren," he added. "It feels wrong to say that they've not won a championship in 26 years. But for me to be part of that, for Oscar to be part of it, is something we're incredibly proud of.

‘A chaotic first lap at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix handed Ferrari an outside chance’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/n...-bid/10680794/


Brown jokes that Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was "the worst two hours of my life"
8 Dec 2024
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

Speaking to Sky Sports right as the Grand Prix finished, an ecstatic Brown said: "I love everyone in Woking! What an awesome team effort, all the men and women at McLaren! Amazing! That was stressful." He was then asked about Norris delivering for the team, saying: "Man he did! Yes he did!"

The CEO then joined the Brit on the podium to celebrate the success of his team, shouting loudly in celebration. He joined the Sky Sports crew once again after celebrating in the McLaren garage, joking about the stress of the race: "That was the worst two hours of my life, by far. Lando drove brilliantly. Unfortunate what happened to Oscar at the start, but the team was flawless. They executed, the pit stop was great. I think I was the only one that was about ready to have a heart attack for two hours."

Again, the American was extremely complimentary of Norris: "In that race, he carried us. To not make any mistakes, we were worried about safety cars, I was worried about everything. He drove flawlessly, as he's done. So next, try and repeat Constructors and get the Drivers. I'll let Oscar and Lando figure that one out!"

"In that race, he carried us”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31793...-dhabi-gp.html