Lando Norris Secures Pole at Singapore GP but Feels There’s Room for Improvement

Lando Norris had hoped for better despite claiming pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Lando Norris expressed that he had anticipated slightly better performance from his McLaren F1 vehicle, even though he secured the top spot at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Norris outpaced his championship competitor Max Verstappen by 0.203 seconds during a single-lap battle for pole position, ensuring that the two contenders for the title secured the top two starting spots on the grid after qualifying.

However, the British driver felt his lap was lacking, conceding that it was “not particularly impressive”.

"He elaborated that accomplishing everything in a single round is challenging due to the difficulties involved."

"I found myself slightly behind in the initial sector, possibly by a few tenths of a second, which prompted me to increase my effort in the middle sector in an attempt to compensate for the earlier shortfall."

"Despite the challenges, there was still a sense of satisfaction. Throughout the weekend, our performance was solid. However, we faced difficulties in advancing from the practice sessions to the qualifying rounds. We eventually settled on a suitable configuration but were unable to make significant improvements beyond that point."

"I managed to slightly improve my time from FP3, but I had hoped for a better outcome. Unfortunately, I found the sessions in Q1, Q2, and Q3 more challenging than anticipated."

"The vehicle performed incredibly well throughout the weekend, making it easy and comfortable to go out there and complete the lap."

Norris mentioned, "I believe we've really excelled in showing up at the circuit where the car performs effectively."

"Basically, we left the car alone over the weekend. This was primarily because whatever efforts we put in seem to hardly have any impact."

"We've basically kept the car without needing to put much work into it, which, in a lot of respects, is actually beneficial."

"Yet, managing it during the final moments proved challenging, particularly during the Q3 lap, where issues with locking and the track's uneven surface arose."

"I committed several errors, making the car difficult to handle, yet it remained fast. This enabled me to perform at nearly my best and still succeed, thanks to a mix of various factors."

Norris enters Sunday's race with the aim of reducing Verstappen's 59-point lead in the championship standings.

When inquired about his level of confidence, Norris responded, "Significantly. Throughout the weekend, we've performed quite well. Obviously, others have made progress and caught up.

"In the qualifying session, it's evident that Max made significant progress from yesterday to today. Mercedes also ramped up their speed in Q2, positioning themselves strongly in the competition."

"They were trailing right behind me, closer than I preferred, especially compared to my performance in FP3 and other aspects."

"However, I'm assured that the car performs well in both qualifying and the race. We demonstrated this already on Friday."

"I'm sure that if I manage to take the lead, then I can focus and make significant progress."

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