Norris concedes McLaren had ‘nothing special’ in Japan as he gives verdict on Verstappen pit exit incident

After starting the Japanese Grand Prix on the front row, Lando Norris found himself unable to launch an effective challenge for the race win amid a flawless drive from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, leaving him to rue his Qualifying effort.

The Briton missed out on yesterday’s pole position by a mere 0.012s, but the deficit to the leading Red Bull proved too great to overcome in the 53 laps around the historic Suzuka Circuit.

READ MORE: Verstappen surges to fourth consecutive Japanese GP victory ahead of Norris and Piastri

He attempted to take the lead on the opening lap by angling himself towards Verstappen on the grid, but was forced to settle in second place for the majority of the race. Norris then pitted at exactly the same time as the Dutchman, leading to a tussle at the pit exit.

As he left his box, Norris tried to pass Verstappen as they exited the pits, but with no space in the lane he ended up driving over the grass and once again took P2 on the track – a position he remained in until the chequered flag.

Speaking about his weekend, Norris said: “I guess I just lost out yesterday. Max drove a good race today, no mistakes. The pace was too similar to today to do anything more. Long race, a lot of pushing, a flat-out race from start to finish so [it was] tough.

“Just not enough today, nothing special that we had that we could get Max on. They were quick and no mistakes like I said so he deserved it.”

RACE START: Watch the getaway in Japan as Verstappen holds onto the lead while Alonso battles with Gasly

Following that pit exit incident Norris initially reported over the radio that Verstappen had forced him off the track, but later labelled the incident as “racing”.

“He was still ahead," the McLaren driver explained after the race. "It kind of squeezes into one and Max is the last guy I expect to give me any space, in a good way and in a racing way, so nothing more than that.”

In the latter stages of the race, Norris' McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri got within a second of him, but they held position and ultimately crossed the line in second and third to net 33 points, keeping the team at the top of the Constructors’ Standings.

Although the Woking outfit appear to have established themselves as the outfit to beat across the first three races of the season, the 25-year-old added that their advantage over the rest of the field is gradually diminishing.

READ MORE: 'That was one of his best laps in Qualifying ever' - Horner lauds Verstappen's incredible Suzuka pole success

“Obviously didn’t get the positions that we wanted and we’re fighting for a win every weekend but they deserved it,” Norris added. “Both Red Bull and Max deserved it this weekend.

“They’re quick, they’ve been catching up. They’ve obviously made some improvements and, as a team, we didn’t have enough this weekend so [we’re] going to have to work harder for the next one.”

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