Lando Norris has started from pole position five times during his Formula 1 career. Of those five times, he has never led the race at the end of lap 1.
In the Hungarian GP on Sunday, a bad start enabled the team order controversy that overshadowed Oscar Piastri’s maiden victory.
Here’s a look at all the times a bad start from pole has cost Norris.
2021 Russian Grand Prix
Norris scored his first-ever Formula 1 pole position in mixed conditions at Sochi three years ago, lining up alongside Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. The Briton appeared to move quickly off the line when the lights went off, and managed to keep Sainz at bay initially without even having to move over the right to block him at the almost straight Turn 1.
Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari SF21, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, George Russell, Williams FW43B, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR21, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, and the rest of the field at the start
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
But the long run up to the second corner of the Russian circuit meant Norris was quickly under pressure from behind as both Sainz and then-Williams driver George Russell – third on the grid – quickly got into his slipstream.
As they approached the corner, Norris stayed on the right side to defend, but Sainz moved to the middle of the track, outbraked the McLaren and, barely keeping his car on the track, took the lead.
In a rain-hit race where McLaren opted to keep Norris on slicks, he went on to finish down in seventh place.
2023 Brazilian Grand Prix sprint
Although not regarded as a real pole position from a statistical point of view, Norris started from the top spot again at Interlagos last year when he was quickest in qualifying for the sprint race.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60 battles with Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19 at the start of the race
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
The driver alongside Norris this time was Max Verstappen, who made a quick getaway and quite easily dived down the inside of the McLaren driver going into Turn 1. There was nothing Norris could do to defend, and although the Briton attempted to attack Verstappen at the end of the back straight, he stayed second, then quickly lost that position to Russell before the end of lap 1.
Norris managed to recover to finish second, some four seconds behind Verstappen.
2024 Chinese Grand Prix sprint
Norris secured the top spot on the grid for the first sprint race of 2024 alongside Lewis Hamilton, who nailed the start and quickly caught up with the McLaren as they approached Turn 1.
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber C44, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, the remainder of the field on the opening lap of the Sprint
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Norris did his best to stay in front, braking late and trying to go around the outside of Hamilton in the hope of having the inside line going into Turn 2. But as it turned out, Norris outbraked himself, went off track and lost six positions.
He went on to finish a distant sixth as Verstappen won again.
2024 Spanish Grand Prix
In what was, in Norris’s own words, the quickest car on the F1 field around Barcelona, the McLaren driver secured his second real pole position and the first of the 2024 season by beating Verstappen by just 0.020s.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, the rest of the field at the start
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images
Also in his own words, Norris got a “bad start” and was quickly pressured by both Verstappen on the inside and Russell on the outside arriving at Turn 1.
Verstappen outbraked Norris to dive down the inside, but it was Russell who, with a bold move around the outside, took the lead, relegating Norris to third by the end of lap 1.
Verstappen won by just two seconds from Norris, who was left chastising himself for a race he felt he should have won.
2024 Hungarian Grand Prix
The second pole of the season for Norris left him lined up alongside team-mate Oscar Piastri, who would become the fifth different driver to steal the top spot from Norris in the five times the Briton has started first.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, the rest of the field at the start
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Norris appeared to make a decent getaway off the line, but the Australian was faster and arrived at the braking point alongside his team-mate, who was also facing pressure from Verstappen on the outside.
Running on the inside line, Piastri wasn’t super fast out of the corner but, with Verstappen stopping Norris from going any wider, the Briton didn’t have enough momentum to try to fight back into the next braking point, having to concede the lead to Piastri.
The rest of the race is very fresh on everybody’s memory, with controversy over team orders overshadowing a Piastri victory enabled by Norris losing the lead from pole once again.
