Lando Norris fell just short during the qualifying round in Qatar. The British driver couldn’t climb higher than a spot on the second starting row, having to yield to Max Verstappen and George Russell. However, Norris can strike a blow to Ferrari during the race, as both Scuderia drivers are starting behind the McLaren drivers.
In Q2, Lando Norris was nearly three-tenths slower than Verstappen during his first fast lap, and he also lost to the four-time world champion in Q3. The world title has already been won by Verstappen this year, but the McLaren driver was still hoping for a better result for the race in Qatar.
“This was not the position we were hoping for, but it was the best we could do,” Norris said immediately after the qualifying round. “My lap itself was good, and I was satisfied with it, but it wasn’t fast enough compared to the others. I’m glad I was able to get everything out of my lap, but I’m not happy with the result.”
A More Challenging Race
Despite his disappointment with a spot on the second starting row, Norris remains hopeful that he can still clinch the victory in the race. “Everyone could see how close everyone was during the qualifying round,” the British driver continued his analysis. “That gives us hope that we can still move further up the field, but there are also fast cars behind us. We’re looking forward to it, and we had a good pace today. I do expect a more challenging race tomorrow.
