LANDO Norris joked that his mechanics got plenty of pit stop practice as a reliability issue forced him to stop six times during yesterday's Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Glastonbury racer's McLaren car developed a pneumatic pressure leak in the early stages of the race, causing him to pit three more times than any other driver.
He eventually finished in 18th place – last of the finishing drivers.
Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri endured a tough debut, retiring after just 17 laps due to a suspected electrical fault. 
After the race, Norris told the Formula 1 website: “We had an issue we had to manage the whole race, which is the reason we had to keep coming into the pits every few laps. Otherwise, it felt okay.”
Asked if the team could learn anything from the race – despite running at the back of the grid – Norris said: “Little bits and bobs. I think the main thing was good pit stop practice for the mechanics! That’s about it.”
Fernando Alonso achieved a remarkable third-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, securing his 99th podium in Formula 1.
Hard work never stops. We’ll be back pic.twitter.com/j4oqzORMHS
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) March 5, 2023
Red Bull's Max Verstappen and his team-mate Sergio Perez dominated the race, but Alonso fought his way up the standings with two excellent overtaking moves.
Alonso's car was the second fastest on the track after Verstappen's, and he pulled off two impressive moves to overtake Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes and Carlos Sainz's Ferrari in the closing stages.
The next race will take place in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, March 19.
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