Norris does a U-turn on Albon clash in Japan: 'We would've crashed'

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive
 

Lando Norris is now criticising Alex Albon for the clash which disrupted his race at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The pair came to blows at the final chicane early on at Suzuka, with the McLaren driver teasing his fellow rookie by sharing a video of Senna & Prost's infamous 1989 collision as a comparison.

Though some felt at the time that Albon was lucky to escape the aggressive move without punishment, as the stewards' declared no investigation necessary, Norris' reaction also surprised many. 

"Initially after the race, my comments were obviously very nice towards Alex and everything, just because of the situation I was in," he said on Thursday in Mexico.

"The brakes weren't working properly, I was about to miss the corner a little bit, or I had a slight oversteer as I was going into the corner.

"When I was in the car, I thought I had a gap, which I did, but when I went in this corner he was suddenly there. I knew he came from quite a long way back, but when I was driving he was just on the inside, it was very quick how it happened.

"I went straight off the track, I didn't know where he ended up. From where I was in the car, it didn't look like he went off.

"I didn't even think there was any contact between us - I don't know why, but then as soon as I watched it back, then it looked very different to how it felt.

"He came from a very long way back, the angle he came into the corner was very acute, he ended up with two wheels on the Astro and there was contact," he noted.

"I was more unhappy, after reviewing it, with what he did - because he made contact, he came from a very long way back.

"If I didn't have any problems with the brakes or anything, I'm 99.9% sure we both would've crashed, possibly been out of the race."

Also Read:

As it was Albon went on to finish the race in fourth, undercutting Norris' McLaren teammate Carlos Sainz, while the Briton ended a lowly 11th following the exclusion of both Renaults.

"I think he should've got a penalty," Lando stated. "If he was a bit more alongside me, he wasn't coming in at quite the angle he was coming in at, and he made the corner, then I think it would've been fair.

"But considering he came from where he did, the angle he was coming at - he came pretty alongside, not rotated for the corner or anything - now I say he should've got a penalty."

 

         

 

 

Search