Lando Norris Shocks in Las Vegas Grand Prix Qualifying
Lando Norris, McLaren driver, starred in an unexpected performance in the qualifying of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, securing pole position in rainy conditions, something he did not anticipate after a previous nap. The championship leader beat Max Verstappen by 0.323 seconds, setting an impressive time in his last Q3 attempt. His McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, who is his main rival in the championship, qualified in fifth place. This gives Norris an excellent opportunity to advance in his quest for the world title in Saturday night’s race. Norris, who had downplayed McLaren’s expectations for this street circuit, confessed that he did not expect to be in the fight for pole when he woke up and found the track wet.Norris was surprised by the performance of his McLaren on a track surface with so little grip. The McLaren driver proved he was wrong about his expectations for the weekend. Even in the press conference on Wednesday, he didn’t expect much, but the team showed good performance, which gave him confidence. Norris will start the race ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull and Carlos Sainz’s Williams, but warned that nothing can be taken for granted despite the good pace in qualifying. The McLaren driver admitted to having doubts about race strategies due to the lack of consecutive laps in practice. He acknowledged that many drivers have not tested the hard tire, which adds uncertainty to the competition. Norris expects a close race with Verstappen and Sainz, highlighting the opportunities they have. He concluded that, although being in the best position is positive, he anticipates a long race where many things can happen.To be honest, I was taking a quick nap before qualifying and was hoping it would be dry, but I woke up and saw it was raining. I thought, oh, shit, this isn’t going to go well, but nobody has driven here before in the rain and it’s difficult to know what to expect.
Lando Norris
