Lando Norris relieved after brake issue: “Russell would have caught me with one more lap” – China GP. Lando Norris is satisfied with how his Chinese Grand Prix race ended.

Lando Norris finishes 2nd in the 2025 Chinese GP
A win was possible, but in the end, second place is not a result to throw away. These were Lando Norris’ thoughts after the 2025 Chinese GP. He was never really close to his teammate and rival Oscar Piastri, but he was ultimately relieved with the final outcome of a race that could have ended with a disastrous zero points. The young Briton had to struggle in the closing laps due to a brake issue that put him in difficulty, allowing George Russell to close in during the final kilometers before the checkered flag.

Brake issue affected the end of the race
The problem caused some serious headaches for the McLaren driver, who was nevertheless pleased to have reached the finish line and secured crucial championship points to defend his lead in the standings. “Russell would have caught me on the next lap,” Lando Norris told Sky UK. “So I was lucky. But brakes are something you really need; they save your life. In the last two laps, the problem got worse, and I had only three or four seconds of advantage, so I was quite nervous. I think the team knew about the issue long before they told me, maybe because they wanted to keep me calm.”

Lando Norris praises Oscar Piastri
“From that point of view, it wasn’t a positive race,” the McLaren driver added, “but we’re lucky to have seen the checkered flag, and doing so with a one-two finish makes us very happy. That was our goal for the weekend, and we achieved it. So yes, it was a very positive day for the team.”

Lando Norris then responded to a question about his chances of victory without the brake issue: “I would have liked to challenge Oscar today, but he drove well, and I had the right pace, especially because with dirty air, it’s much harder, as we saw all weekend. I think the pace was there, but Oscar fully deserved this win. It’s a shame about my brakes at the end, but that’s life, and we move on.” – he pointed out.

“The season? It’s going to be exciting. It’s tough, but I still feel good. With the poor condition of the car yesterday and the day before, I felt like I was behind all weekend in terms of driving and balance. But today, things came together much better for me, and the difference in pace between today and yesterday was significant,” Lando Norris concluded after the 2025 Chinese GP.