In treacherous conditions, Lando Norris secured pole position. On a soaking wet track, with constant yellow flags and almost no grip, the McLaren driver kept his cool in Q3. “A day like this feels extra good,” Norris commented afterwards.
Norris was visibly relieved afterwards – and honest about how chaotic the qualifying was: “This was so stressful. I had no idea if anyone after me would be able to complete a lap. I felt my first two sectors were good, but it was so slippery. If you hit a kerb just a little wrong, the car goes all over the place. But well… it was enough for P1 today. And I’m glad the rain stopped, so we got a decent qualifying.”
The Brit praised his team, but also admitted that he started the session completely differently than he had expected: “First of all, you need a good car, and I had that. The team did a great job. But honestly? I was still sleeping just before qualifying. I thought it would be dry. When I woke up and saw it was raining, I thought: ‘oh shit, this is going to be nothing’. No one has ever driven here in the rain before, you have no idea what to expect. In Q1 it felt like you could crash in every corner and it could be over in an instant. Q1, Q2, Q3… were all tough, but that’s why a day like this feels extra good.”
McLaren Surprises in the Rain
Norris was surprised himself that the McLaren was so fast in the rain. “The pace was good all weekend. I think we would have been strong in the dry as well, but honestly, I didn’t expect us to be this good in the rain too. That makes me super happy.” The Brit remains cautious about what the race will bring: “There are still many question marks. No one has really done long runs, no one has driven more than ten laps in a row. It’s going to be interesting – especially with Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz involved. Hopefully, it will be a great race and the fans will enjoy it.”
