Following a Sprint race he dominated but ceded to his teammate, Lando Norris couldn’t manage better than third position in Qatar GP qualifying. The McLaren driver finished behind Max Verstappen, who returned to pole position for the first time since Austria, and George Russell.
The qualifying session in Qatar was exceptionally close at the top. Until the final moments, the pole position favorite remained uncertain, with Max Verstappen clinching it on his last attempt. Lando Norris secured third, just 252 thousandths behind the four-time world champion.
In the Constructors’ Championship battle, McLaren achieved a strong result in qualifying after their Sprint race one-two finish. Oscar Piastri’s fourth-place qualifying result, paired with Norris in third, outperformed Ferrari’s fifth and seventh-place finishes.
Here’s how Lando Norris reflected on his qualifying result:
“It’s not the position we hoped for after yesterday and today, but it’s definitely the best we could achieve. My lap was pretty good, and I’m quite happy with it, but we weren’t fast enough compared to the others.”
“I’m pleased to have gotten the most out of the car, but not with the result. We’ve seen how close everyone has been throughout qualifying, leaving little margin. That gives us hope for progress, but there are also plenty of fast cars behind us.”
“Looking ahead to tomorrow’s race, today [in the Sprint] we showed good pace, benefiting from clean air. Tomorrow, I expect a tougher race.”
Addressing the Sprint victory he handed to Piastri to settle the debt from Brazil, Norris added:
“That was a completely different matter [compared to tomorrow’s race]. We still think we have a good chance. I’m not sure if we’ll be as fast as Mercedes—I don’t think so. Red Bull has also shown how well they’ve improved since yesterday. There are plenty of opportunities for everyone.”
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