Lando Norris secured second place in the Chinese Grand Prix despite facing severe brake issues during the closing stages of the race. The McLaren driver revealed he was "very lucky" to finish the race at all.

The brake problems began early in the race, with the team reportedly noticing issues shortly after the halfway point. Norris experienced a deteriorating brake pedal, forcing him to significantly reduce his pace in the final laps. He lost approximately seven seconds to George Russell, who finished just 1.3 seconds behind.

"The last 10 laps, I was pretty nervous about just being able to finish the race," Norris explained. "It was noticeable how much worse it was getting every single lap and every braking zone. It's really not a nice feeling when you expect a nice solid pedal and there's just nothing."

The issue came as a surprise, with no prior warning during race preparation. The team had noticed the problem earlier than they communicated to Norris, likely attempting to manage the situation without causing unnecessary concern.

Despite these challenges, Norris helped secure McLaren's 50th one-two finish alongside teammate Oscar Piastri. This result marked a significant improvement from his eighth-place finish in the Sprint race, demonstrating a successful recovery from his earlier struggles with car setup and driving comfort.

"I'm happy considering how bad my last few days have been," Norris reflected. "Today was a much stronger day, so I'm more satisfied to know I've got answers for my struggles and that makes me happy."

The team will now investigate the brake issues to prevent similar problems in future races.

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