Lando Norris had to settle for second place in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, insisting Max Verstappen had “an answer to everything”.
Norris drove to a seventh podium finish of the season, crossing the line 8.2s behind race winner Verstappen.
But despite keeping the Red Bull in his sights for the majority of the race, the McLaren driver was powerless to displace the now three-time champion.
“It couldn’t have gone much better, to be honest,” said Norris, who had qualified seventh on Friday.
A grid penalty for George Russell and a crash on the formation lap for Charles Leclerc boosted Norris to fifth before the lights went out.
The Briton was then quick off the line to assume second place by the time the red flags were thrown following an opening lap incident that took two drivers out.
“Good pace, similar to yesterday, which is the main thing,” continued Norris who also ended the Saturday Sprint as runner-up.
“At the second start I was just a little bit aggressive on it. I’m still happy.
“P2 is as good as you can get nowadays and for the time being,” the 13-time podium finisher added as Verstappen claimed a 17th win of the season.
The McLaren driver had kept Verstappen honest in the opening laps and he was able to sit in the RB19’s DRS window for a respectable period.
But once Norris had considered an attack with the assistance of DRS into Descida do Lago, Verstappen wasted no time in stretching an insurmountable gap.
“There’s little bits where the tyres come back to you a little bit and then you can push on, but Max always seemed to have an answer to everything,” Norris rued.
“Which is a shame, but fair play to him – he drove a good race. So tough with the wind conditions and everything, but P2 is a good result.”
Norris picked up a bonus point for the fastest lap, which he clocked on Lap 61 of the race. He now sits fifth in the Drivers’ Standings, three points shy of Fernando Alonso.
