In a sport as unpredictable and unforgiving as Formula 1, it’s impossible to say that Lando Norris will win a grand prix. There are no guarantees in this game. But if that win does come, one thing is for certain, it will taste that much sweeter after the heartbreak of the 2021 Russian Grand Prix.

For all the pain of Sunday, we leave Sochi with our heads held high: our first pole position in nine years – Lando’s first in Formula 1; fastest lap; and a pair of top-10 finishes, despite a cruel twist of fate, to put a little more daylight between ourselves and rivals Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship. Here’s the best of social media from a bittersweet weekend for the team…

It began with table tennis and ‘large cojones’. Don’t ask!

Then there was the ‘track walk’…

…but we think some of you might have worked out what was really going on:

Free practice on Saturday was cancelled due to the inclement weather.

Much to the disappointment of fans…

It did at least give @craftedbyfae a chance to get their nails done.

And they did bring us luck because, in qualifying, Lando…

With the track drying, both he and Daniel rolled the dice and made the switch to slicks – and, crucially, early enough to complete two flying laps to bring the tyres up to temperature to maximise performance.

It wasn’t all just down to the tyres though. Lando and Daniel had to pull off their respective laps in tricky conditions, venturing into the unknown where the margins for error were even finer. Just half a wheel off the dry line could have washed away any aspirations of a strong grid position.

Some kids play football in the park, others build a fort in their living room, Lando drove a kart on a tennis court covered in water and washing-up liquid…

Our first pole since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix and P5 for Daniel went down well in the garage – for obvious reasons. We might have got just a little excited…

Along with many of you at home…

It even inspired some of you to get creative. @Meggie0205 turned this masterpiece around in about the same time it took Lando to complete his pole lap at the Sochi Autodrom:

Speaking of artwork…

And here’s ‘the making of’:

McLaren, Ferrari, Williams. Just like the good ol’ days…

And then there were those who were smiling like this at the thought of Lando and former team-mate Carlos Sainz, aka ‘Carlando’, lining up on the front row of the grid…

Although Sainz took advantage of a tow from a fast-starting Lando to pass him on the kilometre-long run to Turn Two, Lando never let the Ferrari driver out of his sights and retook the lead before the first round of pit-stops. Prior to the Russian Grand Prix, Lando had only led a grand prix once in his career – and even that was for just a single lap in Italy two weeks earlier – but you wouldn’t know it: he was calm and composed out front and, most importantly, in control, even with a hard-charging Lewis Hamilton closing in the latter stages.

But then, the heavens began to open and turned the race on its head for the final six laps. In a cruel twist of fate, what looked like a sure-fire maiden win for Lando slipped agonisingly through our fingers, as the decision to remain on slick tyres longer than the pursuing Hamilton came back to bite us.

Cue the breaking of Papaya hearts across the land.

...but there is an emoji:

All was not lost though, with Daniel securing fourth and Lando salvaging seventh and a point for fastest lap, we managed to extend our advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship by four points. That might not seem like much, particularly after a race as gut-wrenching as the one in Sochi, but it might just be the difference between third and fourth come the end of the season.

A one-two, two fastest laps, pole position and almost another win, all in the space of little more than two weeks; Sunday hurt, but we’ve come a long way in recent years and we'll only come back stronger.

Join the team

McLaren Plus is our free-to-join fan loyalty programme, bringing McLaren fans closer to the team with the most inclusive, rewarding and open-to-all fan programmes in F1 & esports.

Sign up now, or current members can amend their details in the form below if necessary.