Lando Norris was in contention for a top three place in Singapore until the last second of Q3, but fell just outside. The McLaren driver, who saw his teammate Oscar Piastri eliminated during the first qualifying session by Lance Stroll’s crash, thought there was more to it, but a faultless lap in which he got the most out of it was ‘only’ enough for P4.
It was barely two tenths, the difference between the first McLaren and the first Ferrari. Norris was therefore surprised to be so close to pole sitter and ex-teammate Carlos Sainz. ‘Yes, I was shocked to be so close to it. I’m very happy with my last laps in Q3.’ Yet the Brit is left with mixed feelings. ‘I might have expected a better time. My last lap felt really strong and I didn’t feel like I could have gained any time anywhere. The difference of two tenths shows that we are just not fast enough to finish in the top three,” Norris told Viaplay.
We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: McLaren has made enormous strides since the start of the season. Since the upgrades to the British racing stable before the summer break, things have not always gone smoothly, but a race weekend like this keeps the spirits high for Norris and co. ‘It was very positive to see the improvements. We have made enormous progress. The team did a fantastic job and I am very proud of everyone.’
Norris wants to score ‘strong’ points
“We are in a good position for tomorrow,” the talented Brit continued. ‘We can score big points. The race is always tricky in Singapore, so we can’t get ahead of ourselves. Our car is already good enough to challenge our competitors and then we will see what we can do.’
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