Norris “unlucky” to lose fifth in championship to puncture

Norris had scored only five points in the previous four races after a string of frustrating Sundays, including a tyre failure in Qatar.

After the Jeddah race he slipped from fifth to sixth in the championship, four points behind Charles Leclerc, and four and half ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr.

In Abu Dhabi he qualified a strong third but lost out on the first lap and slipped to fifth place. However that stage was still on target to jump Leclerc, and claim fifth in the…