Lando Norris came very close to winning the Emilia Romagna GP, as he was closing in on Max Verstappen in the last laps of the race.
Norris hoped to have a few laps more to attack Verstappen and he admitted that it’s a shame to miss out on the win for such a thin margin.
“It hurts me to say, but I think with one or two more laps, I think I would have had him,” Norris explained.
“It is a shame and I fought hard until the very last lap, but lost out a little bit too much to Max in the beginning, he was much better in the first stint.
“Obviously in the second stint, we were stronger, but it was a tough first half and a much better second-half.
“One or two more laps would have been beautiful, but just not today.”
The Britton also said that he is incredibly happy to see where the team has come, and fighting for podiums and victories is now a normal situation for McLaren.
“We’re at a point now where we can happily say that we’re in a position with Ferrari and Red Bull, so it is what we have to get used to,” Norris said after a third Imola podium.
“The team is doing a good job and so it is business as usual, and it is focusing on doing the same things, but we’re just fighting for first or second now.
“It is still a surprise to say it is frustrating not to win, but after [the] last [race in Miami], and the improvements we’ve made, it is what we should start to expect.”