Lando Norris details tricky Brazil GP sprint qualifying despite pole position
McLaren’s Lando Norris struggled during sprint qualifying despite securing pole position for the sprint race.
The British driver secured sprint pole with a time of 1m09.243s. He was closely followed by Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in second and third, respectively.
While he is set to start from the front, Norris noted difficulties with timing, the track surface, and struggles during the only practice session.
“Not at my best, but good enough today,” he told the media after the session. “I struggled a little bit more in FP1. I mean, it’s a difficult track, it’s an amazing track to drive, but difficult.
“Easy to get timings wrong, bumps wrong, and I still got a couple of little bits here or there wrong on my final lap, but still quick enough. I think it’s always tricky. Also, when you go onto the soft tyre. Do you push 20% more, 10%, 5%? Do you actually back it off a little bit? But a good enough lap for pole, so I’m very happy.”
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Norris heads into the final four rounds of the 2025 season with a one-point lead over Piastri in the drivers’ standings. While heavy rain and scattered thunderstorms are forecasted, Norris is hoping to keep his team-mate, who starts in third, at bay.
“That’s my plan. Yeah, we’ll see tonight. Of course, we have to prepare for both conditions. I mean, I expect the morning to be heavy rain and incredibly windy at the same time. So let’s wait and see what’s going to happen.
“If it’s in dry conditions, confident at the minute. I think the car’s been performing well. Not nice enough that I’m happy about everything. I’ve got some things to maybe improve on for the quali tomorrow. But yeah, the sprint race, let’s see if I can cruise to victory. That’d be beautiful.”
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