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Lando Norris: McLaren on the back foot after difficult start to United States GP in Austin

Lando Norris has pointed to an advantage that he feels his rivals will have for the United States Grand Prix tomorrow.

The McLaren driver is set to start the race at the Circuit of The Americas in P2 behind four-time champion Max Verstappen in pole position, but Norris has identified an advantage those around him may have after he crashed out of the sprint race at Turn 1 on the opening lap.

Norris was caught up in the crash involving his team-mate Oscar Piastri, Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.

"I think quite a bit, honestly, because we've not done, I don't think I've done more than three laps in a row and not more than like 40 kilos of fuel," Norris explained the advantage of the other frontrunners. "So I have no idea. We don't know if it's going to be amazing, terrible, around here because it's so difficult with the bumps and the bottoming and the winds.

"It's unpredictable. So we were hoping to learn a lot this morning in the sprint in terms of how the car set-up was going to be from quali to race and how it changes, and the things that are good and bad and then hopefully make tweaks for this quali for the race tomorrow. But obviously, that didn't go to plan.

Lando Norris, McLaren crash (Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images)

"So, yeah, we're certainly on the back foot. But I guess we will try not to use it as an excuse tomorrow."

Norris is currently fighting for his first championship win. While it was looking as though it was going to be a battle purely between the two McLaren drivers for some time, Verstappen, who recently won the Azerbaijan and Italian Grands Prix and the United States sprint race, is putting pressure on Norris and Piastri.

Heading into the United States Grand Prix, Piastri leads Norris with a 22-point gap and Verstappen trails the latter by 33 points.

Photos from United States GP - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Fans

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

George Russell, Mercedes

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

George Russell, Mercedes

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Flavio Briatore, Alpine F1 Executive Advisor

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Mika Hakkinen

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

George Russell, Mercedes

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

The awards for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers of the Sprint race

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Red Bull Racing crew members perform a pit stop with a LEGO car

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

George Russell, Mercedes

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Racing Bulls team member on the grid with cooling equipment

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren crash

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren crash

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren crash

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren crash

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren crash

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren crash

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team crash

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team crash

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Fans

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

United States GP - Saturday, in photos

Formula 1
59
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