McLaren’s Lando Norris secured a remarkable pole in Austin, executing a near-perfect lap to outpace Ferrari and Red Bull rivals.
Lando Norris didn’t expect to be contending for pole position this Saturday in Austin, especially as McLaren F1 had been struggling throughout the weekend against Red Bull and Ferrari. Thanks to an excellent first run in Q3 and a late yellow flag, the Briton managed to secure the top spot for tomorrow’s start.
“It was a great lap, I couldn’t have gone much faster than that. When you nail a lap like that, you know it’s going to be hard to beat, but I really put everything together. We’d been on the back foot all weekend, we didn’t have the pace of Ferrari and Red Bull, so I had to do something. I pulled it off, and it’s a good way to start the race tomorrow,” said Norris.
He admitted the circuit is a joy to drive, even when fully focused: “That’s definitely the case here, because it’s so fast. It’s one of the few circuits where, inside the car, you actually think ‘wow, this is quick’. It’s exciting and gives you a good feeling. It’s bumpy, it’s fast, and it puts a smile on your face. And when you’re the fastest, that smile gets even bigger.”
Norris also acknowledged McLaren’s recovery and a stroke of luck at the end of Q3: “It’s been a tough day, a tough weekend for us, but we made some changes and improved things. We might not have had the fastest car today — Max could have gone quicker, Carlos could have gone quicker — but we got lucky, and I’ll take it.”
When asked about his chances of winning the race, the Briton remained cautious: “It’s going to be tough. I’ll do the work that’s needed, and we’ve already made some adjustments to improve the car. We’ve ticked the first box, but tomorrow is going to be a challenge.”
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Norris stuns with near-perfect lap to claim Austin pole Norris stuns with near-perfect lap to claim Austin pole
