AUSTIN — As the U.S. Grand Prix got underway, all talk in the F1 world was focused on McLaren. The Woking-based team has moved to the top of the constructors' championship thanks to Oscar Piastri's win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but will they be able to hold off Red Bull and Ferrari to the end? Will Lando Norris' commanding victory at the Singapore Grand Prix allow McLaren to extend its lead and chase Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship?
However, the week in Austin didn't get off to a great start. But when they might have needed it most, Norris delivered what he called a “beautiful lap” to take pole position at Sunday's American Grand Prix.
“It was a beautiful lap,” Norris told James Hinchcliffe trackside after qualifying. “I didn't intend to go any faster than I came. When you just do one lap and you think, 'Damn, it's going to be hard to beat this.' But I risked everything. And that's what we needed to do.
“We were on the back foot almost all weekend. We didn't have the pace of Ferrari or Red Bull,” Norris continued. “So I had to do something. And today I did it. Well, it was a cool lap and in good shape to start tomorrow's race.”
At the FIA press conference shortly afterwards, Norris continued that his lap in Q3 was the best of his career.
“It was probably the best of my career. Yeah, it was a really great lap. On the second lap I thought, 'Guys, I don't think we can improve much here,' so I set the bar a little bit higher. It was too much. Yeah, I mean, we took everything out of the car,” Norris explained. “Today we changed quite a bit from a sprint race to qualifying and it was definitely a step forward. But I was still struggling a lot. So I needed to take a little bit more risks and give a little bit more. I knew it was going to be there. And it came together perfectly. But it was definitely not a wrap that I could repeat. I'm so happy because I didn't expect to be here today. ”
Verstappen will start alongside Verstappen, but Verstappen himself may have been aiming for pole position when George Russell's crash ended the session.
“So I knew I could find time in the free on the second lap, but I just couldn't actually get to that corner. I mean, that happens in qualifying, but it doesn't necessarily mean I'm I can't control it,” Verstappen said. “However, generally speaking, I think this weekend has been a lot more positive for us so far. At least we were able to fight for pole position, which is the first time in a while.”
But the talking point here in Austin Saturday night, beyond the Texas-Georgia game, of course, was Norris' “beautiful lap” that came at a time when the team needed it most. Thanks to Norris' third place, McLaren only scored six points in the F1 sprint race. This result, combined with Verstappen's victory, moves Red Bull two points closer to McLaren.
This also meant that Verstappen was now two points clear of Norris in the drivers' championship.
This gives Norris an advantage heading into Sunday, when he will be looking for big points.
But the biggest piece of the puzzle remaining may be tire wear, which appeared to be hampering Norris' F1 sprint races. The McLaren driver got off to a quick start and gained two positions in the first few corners on Saturday, slipping into second place behind Verstappen. However, he ultimately finished third, admitting after the sprint race that he had run out of tires by the end.
Norris will do his homework tonight and he hopes it will pay off in what he believes will be a “tough” American Grand Prix.
“So we'll do our homework. We've already made some changes to hopefully improve that direction,” Norris added. “But time will tell. So we will work hard. So far we have done a good job. We will check box number one.
“But it's going to be a tough race tomorrow.”
