Lando Norris pushed his McLaren to the limit in Suzuka, but Verstappen’s stunning lap stole pole by just 0.012 seconds.
Lando Norris came heartbreakingly close to pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix, delivering what he believed was the absolute best from his McLaren.
But Max Verstappen had just a little more in the tank, edging him out by a razor-thin margin. Despite the defeat, Norris remained upbeat — both about his own performance and McLaren’s chances in Sunday’s race.
“I’m happy — big congratulations to Max, that was an incredible lap and he fully deserves the pole,” Norris said. “I think I got everything out of the car today. It was really close — just 0.012 seconds — but Max nailed it.”
Norris admitted to a small error at Turn 7, one of the trickiest corners at Suzuka:
“That’s the last place you want to make a mistake. I had a couple of small moments, and it shows how easy it is to lose time here. Still, it was a strong lap — probably as good as I could do. If I tried again, I don’t think I’d go any quicker.”
Looking ahead, the British driver has just one goal in mind for race day: “Win it. That’s always the target. The weather could throw us a curveball, like it did in Australia, so who knows? But I’m excited. We’ve raced hard with Max before, and I’m ready for the challenge.”
His teammate, Oscar Piastri, also showed strong pace. The Australian topped the timesheets early in Q3, only to be pushed down to third after final laps from Norris and Verstappen. Piastri missed pole by less than half a tenth, despite setting the fastest times in two of the three sectors.
“My first lap in Q3 was really solid, but the last one just didn’t quite come together the way I wanted,” Piastri explained. “The gaps are insanely tight, and everything’s still to play for tomorrow. We’ve got a fast car and definitely more potential.”
He believes victory is still within reach: “Absolutely. Our race pace looks good, and with such small gaps, anything can happen — depending on engine modes, tire strategy, you name it. Max did a great job, but we’re confident in our package.”
With rain on the radar for Sunday, Piastri says he’s ready for anything: “I really don’t mind. We’ve been quick in all kinds of conditions this season, so let’s see what happens.”
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Norris just shy of pole as Verstappen flies at Suzuka
Norris just shy of pole as Verstappen flies at Suzuka