Admitting that the "doors are almost shut" on his 2024 title hopes, Lando Norris believes he wasn't fully prepared to battle Max Verstappen earlier this season.

Still recovering from the nightmare of Interlagos, where he suffered a nightmare race on a weekend the Dutchman rose to the occasion... and then some, Norris admits that he wasn't fully prepared to go head-to-head with the world champion earlier this year, but that lessons have been learned.

"I probably wasn't outright ready to go up against Red Bull and Max," he told reporters in Las Vegas. "I think I am now and it's probably too late to do that.

"Maybe other drivers in the past were ready for such an occasion but no one has gone up against Max so early on in their career, halfway through the season, and put up a pretty reasonable fight," he added.

"I'm there but there's no one else doing it. I've done my best, I've not done well enough and I've always admitted that, and I think Max is probably one of the best drivers ever in Formula 1. I don't think you'll probably get a much better driver than Max in Formula 1 ever again.

"For me to fight against that person that I know is so good, takes a bit more than what I've probably achieved this season. But I think what I've done since the summer break is closer to what I need to be and I think that is close to being good enough to fighting for it next year."

Other than a miserable Sunday, on the Saturday Norris was handed victory in the Sprint on a platter as teammate Oscar Piastri was ordered to yield to the Briton.

Norris, who has previously admitted to having struggled with mental health issues, admits that Interlagos left him depressed.

"For a week, I was pretty down because I had that realisation of things are pretty much out of my control now, not within reach necessarily," he said.

"That's a tough realisation when hopes and your belief is so high. For it to get knocked down so much all of a sudden was pretty demoralising and not the best of feelings. But you learn to accept that's life."

Which is pretty much what Piastri might have been saying that Saturday evening.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Geeza1966, 22/11/2024 23:49

"Its interesting how the term Match Fit is so prevalent in these instances.... Red Bull are so used to duking it out at the very front of both drivers and constructors championships, and I feel that McLaren, steeped in history as they are, have really learned a valuable lesson this season.... the term "sometimes you have to lose one to win one "immediately comes to the fore..... Just a thought... And many thanks to Pitpass for my new membership... Looking forward to posting along with you all on the sport that we all love... Cheers!!"

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2. Posted by kenji, 22/11/2024 1:47

" I would've thought that a driver in his sixth season would've been aware that, 'wounded bulls are dangerous'. Verstappen at Interlagos was one of the very best drives I have seen. The race of the year though goes to Baku and Piastri's win. IMO of course but both were great drives. Norris is flaky as the numbers to date indicate. He may well pull it off but the odds would be off the board! Mano a mano.... its Verstappen every time.Max knows how to read the race and he is able to conjure up great results. Hopefully he can wind it up in Vegas. "

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"I wasn't ready," admits Norris

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