Lando Norris makes worrying 'dreadful' admission after China sprint struggle

Lando Norris has conceded he is feeling “dreadful” following his difficult sprint race in China on Saturday.

The McLaren driver endured a difficult qualifying session for the sprint on Friday and took the start in sixth place.

However, Norris dropped to ninth and out of the points following a mistake at Turn 6 on the opening lap, which saw him dip a wheel onto the grass.

In the late stages, he successfully overtook Lance Stroll to claim eighth place and a solitary point.

When asked if his difficult qualifying set the tone for how his race would play out, Norris told Sky F1: “It certainly didn't help. The further back you start, the harder it is. I just had a bad first lap.

“I just had to run into the grass a bit into Turn 6 and then lost a couple of positions. It was just difficult to do a lot.

“Quali [on Friday] didn’t help but I wasn't very good today either.”

Norris has retained his lead in the drivers' championship, although the gap to Verstappen has shrunk to just two points.

The 25-year-old asserted he will be in a better frame of mind when he jumps behind the wheel for the second qualifying outing of the weekend.

“It’s another session, it's qualifying, so I'll be a bit more confident. 

“At the minute, I just feel dreadful. So a lot of work to do, but it is what it is.”