The current season has been the ultimate test of drivers’ physicality. With the new FIA regulation for generating more downforce from the floor of the car, came the problem of cars bottoming out. The effect was called porpoising, which gave drivers back and headaches. The bumpy tracks make the problem more pronounced and COTA is one such track. McLaren driver Lando Norris had to take painkillers on Sunday to endure severe race conditions.

Despite competing with Alpine, who arguably have a faster car, McLaren has done well so far to stay in the race for 4th in the constructors’ standings. Just as the rest of the season, Lando Norris once again fared better than his teammate Daniel Ricciardo and finished P6. Ricciardo finished yet another race without points.

Lando Norris took painkillers before the US Grand Prix

After struggling with headaches on Friday and Saturday, Lando Norris admitted to taking painkillers before the US GP. While talking with RacingNews365, Norris told how he had to be “heavily dosed up” before starting the race on Sunday.

Norris said, “There’s so many bumps. I was heavily dosed up on headache tablets because I struggled a lot with that this weekend, because it’s bumpy.”

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Talking about being wary of making mistakes on the bumpy track, the Briton explained, “When I take the tablets it probably doesn’t make a big difference in the end, but it’s something I struggle with so [it’s then] easy to make mistakes, so easy to lock up, so easy to spin.”

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McLaren moved within 6 points of Alpine who are currently sitting in 4th in the constructors’ standings. While Lando gained 8 crucial points, Alpine’s Fernando Alonso got a 30-second post-race penalty, pushing him to P15.

Norris clueless about how McLaren is still competing with Alpine for 4th

The constructors’ championship is decided. The 2nd and 3rd places look more or less wrapped up too. It’s the battle in the midfield for 4th which can go right down to the wire, though. McLaren took the 4th spot at the Singapore GP, where Alpine double-DNF’d. However, the French team retook the spot in Japan.

After the Japanese GP, wondering how McLaren is still in the hunt for 4th despite Alpine sporting a faster car, Lando said, “I have no clue how we’re still fighting them in the championship. Like… they are another league to us at the minute.”

He also took a dig at them saying, “They must’ve done a lot worse than us on all of those areas to only just be ahead of us in the championship with the car that they have”

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The battles for 6th and 8th are heating up as well. Alfa Romeo is currently sitting in 6th with Aston Martin trailing by just a single point. Haas, sitting in 8th, is ahead of AlphaTauri just by 2 points. With three more races to go, it’ll be game on for the teams in the midfield.