There's a happy @LandoNorris leaving the Circuit Paul Ricard today! 😁💬 pic.twitter.com/TyMC5BWAc8

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 20, 2021

Followed by a disappointing qualifying result for the McLaren duo, Lando Norris starting in P8 while teammate, Daniel Ricciardo could only manage P10, both drivers bagged great points, leapfrogging Ferrari into third position in the constructors' standings. 

As the five red lights went out, Norris dropped two positions from the start due to a gear shift issue. 

When the pit window opened, McLaren decided that their pit-strategy of keeping Norris out for as long as they can before pitting him on lap 24 on the Hard compound was the way to go. 

As the chequered flag was waved, Norris was able to pass both AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly and teammate Ricciardo, into fifth place due to an impressive race pace and great strategy.

Norris finished in the top five for the sixth time in seven races, keeping him in fourth place in the drivers' standings, ahead of Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.

Post-race, Norris comments, "Obviously I’m really happy. I wasn’t really expecting a P5 coming into today, even with a perfect race."

He adds, "I just didn't think we would have the pace that we did. It was tricky with the tyre management but a lot better than we hoped, which is always good news."

He continues, "A good one for us as a team, a fifth and a sixth, one of the best team results this season."

He concludes, "Overall a fun race. Hopefully we can continue this into the next few races.”

The team could not be happy for a strong Sunday afternoon. As they close part one of the triple-header, now is time to shift gears as they head to Austria for a back-to-back race. 

Happy days. P5 and a perfect strategy. You can't ask for much more than that. pic.twitter.com/xNRyBqHHKy

— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) June 20, 2021