Norris reveals week-long suffering after Verstappen hammer blow

Lando Norris has described how Max Verstappen's "defining moment" Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory affected his mood in the days that followed.

It was a bitter pill for the McLaren driver to swallow, who started from pole at Interlagos whilst the Dutchman lined up P17.

Whilst Norris fell back to sixth-place by the chequered flag, the three-time drivers' champion was able to extend his title-fight lead from 44 points to 62, against all odds.

The 25-year-old shared how the brutal swing in fortunes during the race induced the "tough realisation" that his championship aspirations were all but gone, something he felt was "demoralising" to experience.

"When it's earlier in the season, it's more 'so be it' and you just see what happens later on," Norris told media including RacingNews365.

"But this was almost a defining moment for the championship - it was a defining moment for the championship. The doors are almost shut.

"For a week I was pretty down after Brazil because I had that realisation that things are pretty much out of my control now, not within reach necessarily.

"That's a tough realisation when your hopes and your belief is so high, for it to get knocked down so much all of a sudden was pretty demoralising and not the best of feelings."

'You learn to accept' swings of luck in F1

The pivotal moment in the race at Interlagos came when a red flag was triggered shortly after Norris had pitted for fresh tyres.

Meanwhile, Verstappen had opted to stay out, ending up in front of the British driver and able to bank a free pit stop during the stoppage.

However, to Norris, the ebb and flow of luck is part of life in Formula 1, recalling how things worked in his favour at the Miami Grand Prix, where he claimed his first victory in the championship.

"You learn to accept that," he stated. "That's life. I admitted, and I admitted even in Miami, that I was lucky in Miami to get the win with the safety car, and that's the strategy you play.

"I think Brazil was still a bit more luck of the trade, but that is Formula 1. That's racing. I've not complained about it. Luck can be on your side. It can be on other people's side. That's life. So I don't mind. One day it will go your way. The next it won't."