Lando Norris has qualified third for the sprint race in China. The McLaren driver starts Saturday behind Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. However, Norris does not expect to be able to attack them easily during the sprint race. “I have one chance and that is at the start,” said the Briton.
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After a strong weekend for Mercedes in Melbourne, the German team once again holds the front row. For McLaren, however, the session was still positive. Lando Norris was faster than both Ferrari drivers, while teammate Oscar Piastri qualified fifth. “I am happy that I beat both Ferraris today. They looked very fast, even in free practice,” Norris said in the paddock in Shanghai.
‘We will see’
According to Norris, the weekend in China feels better so far than the season opener in Australia. “It is a good starting position for tomorrow. It also feels better this weekend because the circuit is a bit easier. Everyone is finding their place a bit more here,” said the Briton.
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The McLaren driver acknowledges that Mercedes still has an advantage for now. The gap to polesitter Russell was about six tenths. Therefore, Norris does not expect to win the sprint race easily. “I don’t expect them to have a bad start. They know what they did wrong in Melbourne last week and are probably stronger now.” Still, he sees one chance. “But you never know, I have one chance. The easiest place to overtake is at the start, so we’ll see what we can do,” Norris noted.
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