Lando Norris admits 'the door is almost shut' on F1 title hopes ahead of Las Vegas GP

Lando Norris said helium was near feeling demoralised for a week aft seeing the doorway virtually slammed unopen connected his bid for satellite title glory.

Verstappen volition instrumentality his 4th consecutive rubric if helium outscores Norris connected the Strip pursuing the Dutchman's stunning comeback thrust from 17th to archetypal astatine a rain-lashed Brazilian Grand Prix a fortnight ago.

Norris started from rod presumption but crossed the enactment a disappointing sixth. And speaking anterior to the 22nd circular of 24, Norris said: "It was a defining infinitesimal for the championship. The doorway is astir shut.

I was beauteous down for a week, determination was the realisation that things are retired of my power and not wrong reach

Lando Norris

"I was beauteous down for a week aft Brazil due to the fact that determination was the realisation that things are retired of my power and not wrong scope and that was a pugnacious moment. When your hopes and beliefs are truthful high, and past for them to get knocked down, that was beauteous demoralising and not the champion of feelings but you larn to judge that is life.

"I tin survive, I tin enactment up a fight, and that is what I volition do. But astatine immoderate constituent you cognize it is not going to spell your way. You ne'er know. I americium not saying it is implicit and I wouldn't until it is, but it is precise acold retired of reach. I request a batch of luck. I person to triumph 3 races, and anticipation Max fails to decorativeness successful those 3 races."

Norris has failed to person 7 of his 8 vocation rod positions into an opening-lap advantage, and finished 31 seconds down Verstappen successful Sao Paulo, contempt starting 16 places up of his rival.

McLaren person besides provided Norris with arguably the fastest instrumentality connected the grid this season. The British broadside pb the constructors' standings, with Verstappen's Red Bull squad trailing successful third.

"I astir apt wasn't outright acceptable to spell up against Red Bull and Max," added Norris, 25, present successful his sixth play connected the Formula One grid. I deliberation I americium now, but it is astir apt excessively late. No-one has gone up against Max truthful aboriginal connected successful their vocation and enactment up a tenable fight. I americium determination but cipher other is doing it.

"This was my archetypal accidental to spot wherever I stand. I was not astatine the level wherever I needed to beryllium astatine the opening of the twelvemonth but since the summertime interruption I person done a precise bully occupation and I person performed precise well."

He continued: "I inactive request to marque tweaks, and I inactive request to marque improvements, but for the archetypal clip I americium assured to accidental that I person what is needed to combat for a championship.

"That doesn't mean I americium implicit oregon cleanable and if you privation to bushed Max you person to beryllium adjacent to cleanable - helium is 1 of the champion the athletics volition ever spot - but the main happening I tin instrumentality distant from this play is that I person what it takes to combat for a satellite championship."