The Brazilian Grand Prix is certainly not a race Lando Norris will be looking to remember, after the Brit retired late on following a suspected hydraulic issue, as his car grinded to a halt with 20 Laps remaining.
Unfortunately for the Brit, it’s not just the weekend he’ll have bad memories of as he turned 23 years old on Sunday, marking a forgettable birthday.
Norris was a doubt for the weekend following a bout of food poisoning, which resulted in McLaren preparing Mercedes reserve driver Nyck de Vries as a contingency plan.
The McLaren star persevered through the weekend but staggeringly lost “3.5 kilos” after being unable to eat and drink.
READ: George Russell sends rivals warning after confirming Mercedes will have ‘big winter’
Had he finished the race, then he would’ve likely claimed a points finish, after successfully recovering from a five-second time penalty.
Norris was awarded a time penalty after hitting Charles Leclerc at Turn Six on Lap Seven, which resulted in the Ferrari driver going into the tyre barrier.
The Briton explained after the race that he was far from okay during the weekend, despite people believing him to be better.
“I was in a bad way. I’m a bit better today,” Norris told reporters after the race.
“I didn’t eat or drink for two days. I lost 3.5 kilos. I really struggled a lot.
“Everyone thought I was fine after Friday because I did a good job, but it was quite the opposite.”
Norris’ retirement was perhaps a relief for the 23-year-old, who looked exhausted after taking his helmet off whilst stranded on the inside of the circuit.
He admitted to having begun to physically “struggle” as his retirement approached, leaving him certain that had he finished the race he’d have been in a “bad condition”.
“I started to struggle a bit and then my race was over,” explained Norris.
“I could have a bit of food in me before the race, I could get some fluids in me which is probably the most important thing on such a hot day.
“I’m sure if I didn’t break down and I’d made the end of the race I’d be in quite a bad condition.
READ: Footage suggests Sergio Perez deliberately crashed at 2022 Monaco GP
“I don’t think it cost me anything today, we were just very slow.
“Maybe on Friday in qualifying there were some little mistakes and misjudgements, but I always felt when I was in the car and on my lap, especially a qualifying lap, I could do what I needed to do.
“But longevity [was difficult] by the end of the sprint – I was in a very bad condition.”