Lando Norris made a bet with his team and lost
Lando Norris expressed his surprise at finishing second in the Chinese GP, revealing he had bet against himself and McLaren, expecting Ferrari to outpace them by a staggering 35 seconds margin.
Unexpected pace advantage
Heading into the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Norris harbored doubts about McLaren's ability to compete with the might of Ferrari, whose pace in the Sprint event had left a lasting impression.
"I was ready to go home early and not be on the podium,"
Norris admitted, underscoring his low expectations.
Pre-race wager
Such was Norris' conviction in Ferrari's superiority that he placed a wager against his own team, predicting a 35-second deficit to the Italian outfit by the end of the race.
"I made a bet about how far behind the Ferraris we would finish today,"
Norris disclosed.
"I thought 35 seconds. I was very wrong by that."
Tactical masterstroke
Norris's fortunes took an unexpected turn when a well-timed Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period allowed him to pit without losing track position to Charles Leclerc's Ferrari.
This strategic move, coupled with two subsequent Safety Car periods, enabled Norris to line up second on the grid for the race restarts, a position he would maintain until the checkered flag.
Defying expectations
"I was surprised by many things, the lack of pace from Ferrari today, our good pace, and I guess more us compared to the Red Bull which was so surprising,"
Norris reflected, clearly taken aback by the turn of events. While he had anticipated a battle with Leclerc, McLaren's unexpected edge over Ferrari left him pleasantly surprised.
Team effort pays off
Despite his initial skepticism, Norris acknowledged the collective effort that propelled McLaren to its impressive result.
"It shows the team have done a good job. We're working hard, and it's paying off,"
he praised, lauding the team's tireless dedication.
Norris openly embraced his miscalculation, stating,
"I'm happy to be wrong with myself and my own bets."
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