Norris jokes McLaren had ‘seventh fastest car’

While it was pretty much smooth sailing throughout the weekend for Verstappen – who completed the rare grand slam of sprint winner, race winner, pole and fastest lap – Norris saw his fortunes change late on when Charles Leclerc spun out.

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Like Verstappen, the McLaren driver had been in a race of his own until the Championship leader’s late spin allowed Norris an unlikely podium.

It represented quite the change of fortune for McLaren who after the opening two races looked like they would be lucky to get in the points positions let alone a podium.

However, despite this improvement, Norris was still unwilling to say the McLaren was now the third-fastest car on the grid. Instead he joked that if he wanted to be like George Russell, he should say he had the seventh fastest car.

“Hmmm… I mean, if I want to be like George, I’ll say I had like the seventh fastest car!” Norris quipped when asked if he had the third fastest car in the post-race press conference.

Verstappen, who was sat alongside Norris as well as his team-mate Sergio Perez, then chipped in and said Norris should say it was “all the driver”.

“You should say it’s all the driver, mate! All the driver!” the Dutchman said.

“It is!” Norris replied.

“You had the worst car!” continued Verstappen.

“Yeah, we’re ninth or tenth – but my driving this weekend has been pretty amazing!” said Norris.

Verstappen then said “I agree” and finished up the joke by saying “this will be a nice headline.”

The McLaren driver then