A win early in the season
Apart from Max Verstappen’s win in the Japanese Grand Prix, four of the first five races this season have seen a McLaren driver on the top step of the podium. On three occasions (China, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia), the victory went to current championship leader Oscar Piastri, while the season began with Lando Norris’s win in Australia. The Briton also finished on the podium in the following three races.
A weak spot in qualifying, but in the race…
However, mistakes made in qualifying at Sakhir and Jeddah—combined with Oscar Piastri’s wins—cost Norris valuable points. He now sits second in the standings, 10 points behind his teammate. In Bahrain, he couldn’t do better than 6th fastest in qualifying, and in Saudi Arabia, he missed a shot at pole after crashing into the barriers during Q3 before setting a flying lap, which left him starting 10th on the grid.
The MCL39 driver is well aware of his qualifying missteps but remains confident in his race-day performance—to the point of considering himself the best: “I think I’m fairly happy with my Sundays,” he told the media. “They’ve been pretty positive. In all the races, the pace has been strong, and I feel like the best at the moment, but Saturdays make my life too difficult. I’m working hard; sometimes it makes Sundays a bit more fun. I need to work on Saturdays, and if I can get that right, I’m confident I can get back to where I started.” – Lando Norris concluded.
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