McLaren’s Lando Norris expressed his satisfaction after securing an impressive P4 grid position in Saturday’s qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix. In a post-qualifying interview, Norris shared insights into his feelings and the challenges he faced during the session.
Norris later got promoted to P3, as Sergio Perez who qualified in front of him got a grid penalty of 3 places for impeding on Hulkenberg.
“I would say so, actually better than I was expecting honestly,” the British driver said regarding the qualifying session.
Norris highlighted the particular surprise of outqualifying Charles Leclerc, stating, “One of them [it] was Charles so even more of a surprise but yeah, happy with today honestly.”
Reflecting on his struggles with the car throughout the weekend, Norris acknowledged, “I’m not feeling like I’ve done that well this weekend.”
He elaborated on the challenges he faced after getting outpaced by teammate Oscar Piastri in Q1 and Q2, saying, “I struggled to put things together and just to get comfortable with the car knowing how to push on it.”
Despite the difficulties, Norris expressed optimism about his progress, stating, “As soon as I got a little bit more comfortable like now, through qualifying especially, I felt like I could just unlock more from what I wanted.”
Assessing the team’s performance, Norris emphasised, “I think a good day for us as a team. Good starting position for tomorrow, and it’s a long race with probably multiple pit stops so something to look forward to.”
Norris, who still hopes to get his maiden F1 win, expressed confidence in McLaren’s ongoing efforts to improve the car. “It’s why I’ve signed up with McLaren for so many more years,” he remarked, acknowledging the challenges ahead but remaining hopeful. “I know there are just those things missing which I just struggle to replicate and unlock myself.
“For today, it was a positive day. Better than we expected and I think a good showing against Ferrari and Red Bull so very happy with that.”
