Lando Norris breaks unwanted F1 record as he’s left to rue McLaren strategy
Lando Norris' podium finish at the Australian Grand Prix meant he broke an unwanted record.
Lando Norris broke an unwanted F1 record as he finished on the podium for the 14th time in his career at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
Norris secured his first top three finish of the 2024 F1 season with a strong drive to third behind the two Ferraris.
It’s Norris’ first rostrum appearance since the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at the end of last year.
His 14th career podium means he has the most top three finishes without winning in F1 history.
It moves him one clear of former BMW-Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld.
Most F1 podiums without a win
Lando Norris - 14
Nick Heidfeld - 13
Stefan Johansson - 12
Chris Amon - 11
Romain Grosjean - 10
Reflecting on his race in Melbourne, Norris was left to rue McLaren’s strategy choices.
“It was a very good day for us,” Norris said. “I'm very happy and proud of the team as P3 and P4 are a lot of points in the championship, so that's the first thing.
“We missed out on Charles, I think our pace was a little bit better. He undercut us in the first stint so maybe a little bit of hope for second place.
“I think our pace was strong enough today. But Ferrari and Carlos did a very good job, so hats off to them.
“They've been fast all weekend. I felt like I could manage the tyres very well today and that was a good step. [I] probably wasn't expecting to be on the podium so I'm very happy.”
The 24-year-old still feels that Ferrari and Red Bull are a “step” ahead even though he finished in close proximity to Leclerc.
“It's clear that this circuit suits us a little bit more, we’ve been able to push and unlock a little bit of speed,” he added.
“But it's still another step to Ferrari and to Red Bull. They’re one or two steps ahead of us still, so we need to catch up.
“But it's clear that we're getting closer and a day like today proves exactly that.
“So a big thanks to all and McLaren. We're getting closer to our target. It's nice to be back on the podium again and hopefully we can have many more.”
