Norris 'did everything right' but Spanish GP victory slips away

Lando Norris left the Madring with the uncomfortable feeling of having done almost everything right and still being denied the reward he felt was his. The reigning world champion started from pole, resisted Kimi Antonelli's opening-corner attack, and controlled the early laps. Then a Virtual Safety Car triggered by Lance Stroll's retirement arrived at precisely the wrong moment, and a slow pitstop compounded the damage, dropping him to fifth. Norris fought back to third, but Antonelli was already out of reach.

Why it matters:

Norris's championship defense has taken a significant hit. He now trails Antonelli by 106 points with nine Grands Prix remaining. The result also underscores how a single moment of timing can reshape a race, even when the driver has delivered a flawless weekend.

The details:

• The VSC was triggered just after Norris had passed the pit entry, forcing him to complete another lap before stopping while Antonelli and Max Verstappen pitted under the neutralisation.
• A slow pitstop then dropped Norris to fifth. He recovered to third, but the Madring's difficult overtaking characteristics prevented him from making a decisive move on Verstappen.
• Norris's frustration: "I believe I deserved it today. We did a very good job, I feel like I did everything right this weekend. It's just pretty crappy."
• McLaren's Sunday strength: "It's only positives this weekend. I didn't think we were quick enough all weekend until today. Today we were the best," Norris said. "On Saturdays we're just not where we need to be."

The big picture:

McLaren arrived in Madrid with genuine momentum, having won in Hungary and Holland, while Norris had taken three poles in the previous four qualifying sessions. Zak Brown had even suggested the championship remained within reach. The performance in Madrid showed McLaren can match Mercedes on Sunday, but the points gap is now imposing.

What's next:

Norris must find a way to improve Saturday form to convert his race-day pace into victories. With nine races left, the deficit to Antonelli is large but not insurmountable, provided the Mercedes driver hits a rough patch. For now, the frustration in the McLaren camp is palpable.