Lando Norris of McLaren managed to seize the pole position in a highly unpredictable Sprint Qualifying session at the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix. It was marked by fluctuating weather conditions, making the track challenging for all drivers.
After clinching pole, Norris reflected on the session, emphasising the difficulties posed by the rain arriving for Q3 and the importance of maintaining tyre temperature.
In the dry, McLaren also looked quick. Piastri was P4 in Q2, with Norris just heind in P5.
“It was tricky,” Norris stated. “I was quite happy with how it was in the dry, I think we’ve had good pace all weekend so far.”
Norris was rapid from the opening lap in the wet but messed up his first two attempts as he exceeded track limits. He got it together on his last lap, however.
“I got a bit nervous. They’re conditions where you’ve just got to risk a lot, you’ve got to push, build tyre temperature and so forth. I was quick, I just kept catching a Ferrari, so I had to keep backing off.
“I didn’t do the first two laps well at all, but I got a good final one, a good enough one for pole. I’m happy.”
“Sad it’s not for a proper qualifying, but it’s good enough.”
The session wasn’t without controversy as Norris had a lap time and his next one deleted because he went into the gravel at the last corner. It was then reinstated due to an error by the FIA, adding to the drama of the qualifying.
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, explained the situation.
“We think it might have been because in the lap before he went off at the last corner and they might have thought that in this case, having been off at the last corner, it kind of has implications for the following lap. Which was, as it turned out, the pole lap.”
The deletion was reversed when officials recognised that Norris had not gained an advantage from his off-track excursion.
“Yeah, it was reinstated by the FIA themselves,” Stella confirmed. “And definitely because you go off out of this corner, you launch at much lower speed and effectively Lando loses almost three tenths because he’s been off at the previous last corner.”
Stella also noted a setback for Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, whose performance was compromised due to a technical issue on his final attempt, leaving him in P8.
“Oscar as well. He had an issue unfortunately coming out of the hairpin, because of the wheelspin his gearbox went into neutral apparently, and he lost a lot of time.”
“Otherwise, we could have had two drivers high on the grid for the Sprint.
“But overall, a good session for us, we are happy.”
Despite the hiccup, the team remained optimistic about their overall performance and Norris’s pole position.
“Of course, we can enjoy a pole position. We like it, which, like I say, is deserved by Lando. And also I hope everyone at McLaren can enjoy this day,” Stella added.
With Norris on pole for the sprint race and uncertain weather conditions forecasted, McLaren appears well-positioned to capitalise on their strong qualifying results, with hopes high for a competitive showing in the race itself.
