Norris hints at missed Australian GP opportunity

Lando Norris has suggested McLaren had pace to get involved in a fight with Ferrari during the Australian Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz emerged victorious for the Italian team ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, while Norris crossed the line in third place.

Norris moved ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri under a team order and chased after the leading duo after being overtaken by Leclerc in the first pit stop phase of the race.

The Briton, however, could not close in on Leclerc and was forced to settle for third - a result he was nevertheless pleased with.

“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.”

Norris buoyant over McLaren future

With Mercedes failing to score points in Australia, McLaren has put further distance between itself and the German manufacturer, which has now fallen to fifth behind Aston Martin.

Despite showcasing a stronger pace throughout the race compared to Mercedes, Norris highlighted that there is still a gap to its rivals ahead.

“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 said.

“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.”