Lando Norris says he took additional satisfaction from taking pole place for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as a result of he was in such bother with the circumstances early on within the qualifying session.
Qualifying began at 7:30am native time on Sunday morning because of the climate forecast, having been postponed from Saturday afternoon, and with an earlier race begin of 12:30pm to observe. Norris gained Saturday’s Dash within the dry, however within the moist he solely made it by Q1 in fifteenth place and was properly off the tempo earlier than discovering large enhancements in a delayed session to take pole place from George Russell.
“There was quite a bit occurring right this moment, however tremendous, tremendous blissful, as a result of I used to be struggling quite a bit initially of qualifying — I had a variety of work to do,” Norris mentioned. “I used to be not snug in any respect, so to finish up on pole… I labored at it quite a bit by qualifying, I had a variety of areas I wanted to enhance on however I did precisely that. So slightly bit stunned, once more — I’ve been stunned slightly bit currently, so slightly bit stunned to be on pole — however I felt good ultimately.”
Albon out of Sao Paulo GP after qualifying crash
Norris on pole, Verstappen seventeenth after marathon moist qualifying
Verstappen fumes at race management forward of P17 race begin
Alex Albon was provisionally alongside Norris on the entrance row late in Q3 earlier than crashing closely and being dominated out of the race because of the injury, and the McLaren driver admits that was an added side to contemplate when it got here to how laborious he may push.
“Very [difficult], most likely greater than it appears to be like on TV at instances. You’re all the time looking for that subsequent little bit however you noticed how many individuals had been going off, so it was simple to finish up badly and find yourself in a wall or do one thing the place you may not even make the race later right this moment.
“In order that danger/reward was not simple right this moment, particularly from the place I used to be in Q1 I discovered it very powerful to know, ‘How rather more can I push?’ That’s why I’m blissful, as a result of it’s a relieving qualifying after one thing like this.”
Norris says he gained’t be being attentive to how the race is unfolding behind him when it begins early this afternoon, regardless of Max Verstappen provisionally seventeenth on the grid, as he believes any driver generally is a menace within the moist.
“I’ve received some fast guys behind — George put in a pleasant lap, Yuki [Tsunoda] has been flying within the moist all day right this moment. So it’s by no means simple in these circumstances. It’s by no means as a lot as simply settling down and getting on with it — as a lot as that’s what I wish to do, it’s not all the time the best factor. We’ll put together properly. I hope we are able to get a race in — that will be a very good begin — and I’m excited to see what we are able to do.”
