Lando Norris: I attacked too aggressively

Both McLaren drivers qualified for the final qualifying session before the sprint, but the decisive session went differently for them. Lando Norris eventually only showed the 9th result, after which he admitted that he had exaggerated it.

Lando Norris (9th): “I just attacked too aggressively. The performance of the car made a very good impression, but to be honest I acted stupidly: I made a few mistakes in Turn 1, after which this vortex sucked me in.

It’s a shame, because the team has worked well and the new products have proven themselves well. I was happy with everything. The pace was okay. Maybe the McLaren car was one of the fastest, so today’s result upset me, but tomorrow I will try to do everything in my power to make up for it.”

Oscar Piastri (6th): “I think everyone had big problems in the qualifying final. I don’t know, maybe it’s because the track conditions have changed a bit, or we expected soft tires to work much more efficiently.

But my lap left a rather terrible impression, although I managed to set the sixth fastest time. Probably everyone had failed attempts too. For example, Lando showed the best qualifying time in the second session on Medium tires.

Overall the picture is somewhat strange, but I accept this result. It will be difficult for everyone in the sprint, but not because of the deterioration of the rubber. The tires seem to withstand high loads well, even in very hot weather. So the performance of the tires does not worry me too much, and I believe that a very interesting sprint awaits us, because many competitors will start from positions that are not typical for them, because someone has managed to keep the car stable let work. ”