Norris admits ‘we did everything we could’ in US GP as he reflects on ‘tough’ battle with Leclerc

Lando Norris was content with second place in the United States Grand Prix, the McLaren driver admitting that there was “not a lot more we could have done” on a day where he won out in a “tough” battle with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

After lining up alongside polesitter Max Verstappen on the front row of the grid, Norris initially lost out to Leclerc at the start, leaving him with his work cut out as he chased down the Monegasque in the opening stages.

A close fight unfolded between the pair, with Norris eventually making an overtake stick into Turn 12 on Lap 21. But it was not quite over there, as the duo found themselves in another scrap for P2 during the final laps of the race, Leclerc having ended up ahead of Norris again after the pit stops phase.

While both drivers seemed to be struggling with their tyres, Norris was able to find a way past the Ferrari just a few laps from the finish, allowing him to take a hard-fought second place.

Reflecting on the battle – and his race as a whole – after jumping out of the car, the McLaren driver joked that he “finally” overtook Leclerc in the end, adding: “It took long enough. It was a good battle with Charles, he fought hard, and it was tough.

“We did everything we could. I thought we kind of had it in an easier way after the overcut. I expected a slightly easier second attempt to get through, but it wasn’t the case.

“Charles drove a very good race, it was fun, and good battles. So I have to take second. There’s not a lot more we could have done.”

During his duel with Leclerc, Norris’ race engineer Will Joseph at one stage told him to cool his tyres before making another attempt at an overtake.

Looking back on this, Norris explained: “Out of the box when the tyres are the freshest, you want to push because you have the best chance, but it’s also when the tyres are at their hottest. So when I had my first try, I started to really struggle with the tyres and Charles was probably already in the consistent point.

“So I backed off quite a bit for a few laps, went again, and it worked. Good strategy, some good driving, and a fun race.”

Norris’ result means that he has closed the gap in the World Championship standings down to just 14 points from team mate Oscar Piastri – who ended the race in fifth – while Verstappen’s victory has put the Red Bull driver only 40 points behind the Australian.