McLaren introduced a comprehensive upgrade package in Miami, from which reigning world champion Lando Norris immediately benefited on Friday: the Brit qualified on pole for the sprint race. He felt more comfortable in the car from the first meters and indicated that the confidence he previously lacked returned immediately. Moreover, the battle for pole position reminded him of the F1 fights of the past.
Read more Starting lineup sprint race Miami: Norris strikes, Aston Martin in free fall
“I feel very good,” Norris responded after the sprint qualifying. “And of course, I am very happy for the team. There are always high expectations and a lot of work has been done to realize these upgrades. It is difficult to predict how the weekend will turn out in advance, but from the first lap – literally from turn 1 – everything felt better. It felt a bit like last year again, simply with more confidence in the car. I held that feeling all day. So yes, a nice start to the weekend. Probably better than we expected. Let’s call it a small surprise, but certainly a pleasant one.”
‘Felt like before’
Nevertheless, Norris emphasized that the differences between teams remain small. According to him, several teams are close to each other, reminiscent of earlier seasons when four teams fought for the top positions. “Honestly, at the end of the first free practice it was very close between many teams,” he admitted. “Red Bull seemed fast, Ferrari seemed fast, Mercedes seemed fast – it felt a bit like before, when there were four teams that could take pole. But we seem to have made a good step forward in qualifying.”
Read more F1 holds a minute of silence for Alex Zanardi: ‘A huge loss for motorsport’, says Verstappen
Despite this strong starting point, Norris puts his performance into perspective. “It was just the sprint qualifying,” he continued soberly. “Not really something to be very proud of, in a way.” Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend, Norris remains cautiously optimistic, although he acknowledges that much is still unknown about the renewed package. “We will see. It is difficult to predict what everyone will do during the long runs. As I said: it is still a long weekend – anything can happen.”
Read more Former racer and ultimate perseverer Alessandro ‘Alex’ Zanardi (59) passed away
Read everything about the GP Miami here
