Lando Norris (P11): 9/10
Any discussion of Lando Norris's fortunes in the Belgian Grand Prix must begin with a primal scream of pure frustration and anguish. Sunday had surely been the rookie drivers' best performance to date, and at a circuit universally acknowledged to be one of the most challenging on the F1 calendar. It was made all the more impressive by the fact that Spa's high-speed straights and sweeping corners hadn't appeared to suit this year's McLaren, both Norris and his team mate Carlos Sainz struggling in practice. With Sainz out of the picture with engine penalties, Norris managed to pick up 11th place on the grid for the team and then safely navigated the first lap mayhem to emerge in a near-miraculous fifth place. While unable to keep pace with the Ferrari and Mercedes cars ahead, he was equally far enough ahead to be safe from attack from behind. It should have ended with his best result to date, but instead the engine died one lap short of the finish. Not even being named F1 Driver of the Day could be anywhere close to sufficient compensation for such undeserved heartbreak.
