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Lando Norris finds himself at the forefront of the Formula 1 drivers’ championship for the first time following his win in Australia. However, recent performances indicate that the weight of this newfound pressure may be affecting his confidence, especially after a series of missteps during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.
This season, McLaren has showcased impressive speed, as evidenced by Oscar Piastri’s achievement of securing his first-ever pole position for the upcoming Shanghai race. He will be joined on the front row by George Russell of Mercedes.
Norris will start from third on the grid, a reasonable position yet another reminder of an opportunity slightly missed during this pivotal race weekend.
The age-old advice of not repeating the same mistake holds a particular relevance for Norris, who has acknowledged errors in sprint qualifying, the sprint race, and now the main qualifying session for the grand prix.
As the sessions progressed, Norris showed promise by leading in both Q1 and Q2. However, he ultimately aborted his final flying lap, a repeat of a mistake he made during the sprint qualifying, resulting in a spot on the second row instead of pole.
“I’m always disappointed if I’m not on pole, but Oscar deserves it today. He’s done a very good job all weekend, so I’m happy for him—his first pole in Formula 1,” Norris remarked after qualifying.
“I’ve made a couple of mistakes again, which has been the theme for me this weekend, but the car felt better today overall. I felt more comfortable, so it’s a step in the right direction compared to yesterday. I was struggling quite a bit then and even this morning.”
Norris continued, “It’s encouraging to see we have the quickest car, although it can be a bit challenging at times. Today, the errors stemmed from my end, and that’s something I need to correct.”
During the post-qualifying press conference, Norris openly discussed his challenges. “I’ve made too many mistakes and haven’t felt as comfortable as I did in Australia. It’s tricky, but it’s the same for everyone. Oscar has excelled this weekend, while I haven’t shown my best pace, especially in race conditions where I struggle with front graining. It’s been a tough weekend overall, and I know I need to improve.”
As he reflects on the day’s events, Norris is aware that to maintain his position at the top of the championship standings, he must focus on minimizing mistakes. The road ahead to the race will require a thorough analysis of his performance data to ensure he can deliver a more polished showing.
Photos from Chinese GP – Sprint Race & Qualifying
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