Lando Norris explained that his dominant Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix pole position was “reassuring” for him as he hopes to have tackled his qualifying demons.
The Brit’s position at the front of the grid never looked in doubt, and duly took pole by half a second from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, cementing the biggest qualifying margin of the year so far.
Across the season, Norris has endured several moments in qualifying in which a likely pole has turned to disappointment, including in Saudi Arabia, in which a crash in Q3 saw him denied a potential pole.
Much of this has been down to Norris’ problems finding an affinity with the MCL39 compared to team-mate Oscar Piastri, who lines up third at the Red Bull Ring.
When asked if his pole was secured in conjunction with the team helping him to find a sweet spot with the car that he has struggled to achieve previously, Norris indicated he felt content with the car and himself.
“I think on deliveries, consistency and, of course, putting it in when it counts in Q3 was easily the best lap I’ve done for this whole season,” he said. “Probably even better than Monaco, honestly. Not as an exciting lap as Monaco, but definitely a better put-together lap than I did there.
“And some of that is, I think, some of the small things that have allowed me to get that out of the car from the changes within the car.
“Whether that’s the upgrades or not is very difficult to tell still, but it was definitely, like you said, the most confident I’ve been and comfortable I’ve been in terms of getting lap time out of the car and understanding that.
“I think it showed today that when I have those feelings, when it’s still not all there but more there than before, I can have a day like today.
“It shows that the feelings I’ve been requiring, the feelings that I’ve not been getting as easily, when they are more of my way and more where I want them to be, I can put in better performances and have days like today.
“I think that’s reassuring for myself, which is a very nice feeling. It’s still about consistency. This is one weekend, but I’ve got to do it for another 12, 13 [races] or something.”
Norris felt ‘on the limit’ in barnstorming pole lap
Norris was quick to explain that he is largely responsible for the disappointing results he has suffered in qualifying this year.
But he added that are many mitigating “reasons” for why he has been unable to hook up his car over one lap before, saying it is “a small element from the team, and it’s also down to myself quite often. I was quick in Canada for the most part and made mistakes there and misjudged many things there and didn’t put the laps together when I needed to.
“But the pace was there, and that wasn’t through a lack of feeling.
“That was through not doing a good enough job for myself. I’m never going to just blame the car, and I’m never going to, I say blame anything, but there are reasons for different things.
“And I guess what’s, like I said, most reassuring for me is when I’ve got some other feelings that I need, I do a better job. And that’s the best news that comes out of some of these things.”
Norris conveyed his excitement at tackling the short but technical Spielberg circuit, and found enjoyment in committing to the faster section in the latter part of the lap.
“Well, it’s impossible to say, but as close as I would probably ask for,” he said. “You know, in all the places I could be close to being in the gravel or over the limit, I feel like I was. So it was a very good lap, I think.
“Improved in every corner and especially around here, you know, with the high speed in [Turns] 6 and 7, 9 and 10, especially in quali, you’ve got to commit and it’s exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.
“So, yeah, again, rewarding when things go right, like they did today. And to put the laps in that I did today, I was very happy with. So, yeah, it was a fun qualifying.”
READ MORE – Lando Norris dominates qualifying to take F1 Austrian GP pole
