Lando Norris has explained how he found pace to move past Charles Leclerc in the final stages of the race despite previous complaints that he had no life left in his tyres.
Norris lost second place on the opening lap to Leclerc, with the latter on a softer tyre compound.
Norris managed to reclaim the spot on lap 21 but fell behind Leclerc once again in the pit stop phase of the race as the Monegasque driver executed a successful undercut by pitting several laps before his rival.
The McLaren driver looked as though he had accepted defeat in the final laps before finding a new burst of pace late on, which allowed him to move ahead of Leclerc and seal the runner-up spot.
“It took long enough,” Norris reflected after the race. “It was a good battle with Charles.
“He fought hard and was tough. We did everything we could. I thought we had it in an easier way after we got ahead and then went much longer.
“I expected a slightly easier second attempt to get through, but it wasn't the case.
“Charles drove a very good race. It was good fun, good battles. So I have to take second. Not a lot more we could have done today.”
Norris commented that his tyres were “gone” before unlocking more potential and moving ahead of the Ferrari driver.
Explaining his late surge, Norris said: “Out 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 get the hottest. So when I had my first try, I just really started to struggle with the tyres.
“Charles was probably already in that kind of consistent point, so I backed off quite a bit for a few laps went again, and it worked.”
With Norris' team-mate Piastri crossing the line in fifth, Norris has closed the advantage and now sits 14 points behind in the drivers' championship.
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