Lando Norris knows Max Verstappen is a big threat, even though he got pole position for the United States Grand Prix. They’re both fighting hard for the 2024 title, and Norris really wants to win in Texas to close the 54-point gap between him and Verstappen. He shared his thoughts on this important race after qualifying.
On Saturday, Norris grabbed his seventh career pole just hours after finishing third in the sprint race. But during that race, Carlos Sainz overtook him late, and Norris seemed to struggle more than others. His lock-up at turn one was tough for McLaren fans to watch. Meanwhile, Verstappen cruised to victory, standing tall since his last win in Austria’s Sprint.
Norris talked about his struggles in the sprint during the post-qualifying press conference: “I mean quite a big one (lock-up). I don’t want to do it again, so we’ll see.” He added that some events led to it but felt they improved the car a lot since they weren’t near pole position before. The session saw an interruption when George Russell crashed in Q3.
McLaren’s Progress
“We’re still a bit off,” Norris admitted, “but we’re in a good spot.” He thought Ferraris and Mercedes would be stronger today but noticed they’ve made a bigger leap forward between the sprint and now. Ferrari starts third and fourth behind Verstappen, with Oscar Piastri right behind them in fifth place.
Excitement for the Race
“It’s gonna be tough,” Norris said about the upcoming race. “Ferrari was quick today with degradation. Max is Max,” he chuckled, “they’re always fast.” Fans might think it’s going to be an exciting showdown! He’s looking forward to what promises to be an epic battle on track.
A win in Austin would give Norris’ championship hopes a huge boost! McLaren leads Red Bull by 39 points in the constructor’s standings as they head into COTA.
What do you think? Can Lando pull off a victory?
