Andreas Seidl thinks Lando Norris could have concluded fifth in the Italian Grand Prix experienced it not been for a gradual pit halt.

Norris recovered from a lousy commence to the race when he fell from 3rd to sixth thanks to what Seidl known as an “issue with the options.” Immediately after operating a extensive initial stint, Norris was up to fourth ahead of building his initial pit halt.

The tyre improve value him an excess two seconds in contrast to his rivals and Norris returned to monitor in ninth. He promptly built his way up to seventh powering Purple Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who Seidl stated Norris was preventing for situation with the technique he was on.

“Once Lando was in absolutely free air, soon after all these autos pitted, soon after the terrible commence he experienced and getting more again than expected, he really experienced fantastic tempo on the medium [tyre],” stated Seidl. “He could have stored likely, even driving absent from Fernando [Alonso], which then set him in a situation to really set the tender tyres on at the conclude.”

Nonetheless there was no option for Norris make use of the “bit of benefit” he received by switching to fresh new tyres thanks to the Protection Vehicle interval at the conclude of the race. This was brought about by the retirement of his workforce mate Daniel Ricciardo, who experienced what Seidl stated appeared like “an oil leak”.

That final result “for us was pretty unlucky since on Lando’s aspect we resolved to pit for a further established of tyres in get to have then a further go on Checo or perhaps even Lewis soon after the restart, since these two men stayed out”.

The try to leap up two places rather intended Norris misplaced just one and concluded seventh for the fifth time in the past 6 races. But Seidl assumed it was just one of his driver’s very best overall performance of the yr.

“It was a pretty solid race for both of those motorists now. On Lando’s aspect, sad to say we experienced way too several concerns which had been in the way of scoring an even far better final result. Since with a thoroughly clean race it may have been even doable to rating a P5 now with the penalties Lewis experienced, and Checo.”

Acquiring absent into the weekend predicting they would be at a downside to Alpine, Seidl stated it “was encouraging to see” Norris overtake Alonso in the center of the race on tempo by yourself. “We predicted a good deal a lot more difficulties in phrases of tempo with our motor vehicle this weekend.”

2022 Italian Grand Prix

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