Lando Norris bagged pole position after a stellar qualifying session at Formula 1‘s Belgian Grand Prix saw the McLaren driver overturn a deficit to team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Norris seemed to be on the back foot against Piastri since Friday at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
The Briton was six-tenths off the Australian’s pace during Sprint Qualifying, but managed to overturn the gap during the top-10 shootout on Saturday.
“I wasn’t even that far off, it was just a couple of little issues that we had,” Norris told media including Motorsport Week, reflecting on his SQ3 lap on Friday.
“I was confident after yesterday and I’m confident coming into today, so it’s nice to see that I could get back to the top.”
The eight-time Grand Prix winner believes that while he always had the pace, the team were able to execute a better session on his side the second time around.
“Three tenths, it’s just slipstream and not being first out the pit lane, so yeah, it was nothing to worry about,” he explained.
“People like to make a lot of things up, but… no, I felt good. The car has been flying all weekend.”
That said, while Norris secured pole, he was surprised to discover that his final flying effort in Q3 turned out to be one-tenth slower than his outright fastest lap.
“It was a good lap. Yeah, obviously good enough for pole. I felt like my second one, I felt like I improved, just the lap time didn’t,” he deliberated.
“So, yeah, maybe a little bit more out there, a bit more in it, but I think nice improvement from yesterday.
“Just nice to be in a better position and up there again. So, good day. I mean, the car’s been feeling great all weekend.
“I just think there was a couple of corners that I must have gone slower, I guess. I don’t know.”
Norris braced for Silverstone repeat at Spa
Norris comes into the weekend off the back of a sensational home win during a wet-dry thriller at Silverstone three weeks ago.
And the weather forecast for the 44-lap race on Sunday might sprout conditions similar to those prevalent at the Northamptonshire-based track.
“It’s probably going to rain. I don’t know much more than that,” Norris suggested.
“So high chance of rain, but that can also mean that it just sometimes hits half the track and the other half stays dry.
“So it could be in for a Silverstone-esque chaotic race, similar to Australia. I think we have the best car, so that’s the most important thing.”
Norris has won both Silverstone and Australia in treacherous conditions. Yet for the Grand Prix on Sunday, the Briton would rather that the heavens did not open up.
“I mean, I prefer to stay dry, honestly,” he concluded.
“I mean, even for the fans, I think it’s rained here for the last ten years or something, so it would be nice to have a dry Sunday.
“Yeah, I don’t mind whether it’s dry or rain or whatever it is, or summer in the middle. It’s normal here, and I look forward to a fun race.”
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