Lando Norris has admitted he was relieved after taking pole position for the Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint Race, branding the session “tougher than I’d like”.
The Brit seemingly looked in control of proceedings at the Interlagos circuit, confirming it by taking pole by almost a tenth of a second from Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Oscar Piastri will start on the clean side of the circuit and directly behind his team-mate, hopeful of being able to take the fight to Norris to reassert his title lead.
For Norris, the afternoon was perhaps a bit too close for comfort for him, admitting in the parc ferme interview after qualifying that it was nice to end up on top.
“Yeah, it was a little bit tougher than I would have liked,” he said.
“I mean, close between a lot of cars, Mercedes quick on the Soft. But always tricky when you’ve got the Medium and the Soft and knowing how much more to push or not push sometimes.
“But we did the job. We did the job we needed to do, which was to be fastest today. So, yeah, trickier than Mexico.
“Not been feeling quite as comfortable, but therefore it’s a great result. You say not as comfortable, but this place is so special.”
Norris aware of the fraught racing and heavy rain set to affect Brazil GP Sprint
When asked what it took to put a lap together on such a tricky circuit, Norris acknowledged the circuit’s differences between an entertaining race and the difficulty qualifying can bring.
“Yeah, I mean, quali is always one of the best things,” he said. “I mean, you can also race and have great racing, but quali around here is difficult.
“It’s bumpy. It’s tricky. You’ve got the hills, the undulations, so it’s always a joy. It always puts a smile on your face, especially when you end up on pole.
“So, yeah, good day today, but it’s still a long weekend. It’s only Friday, so another quali, another couple of races to go. But a good start, a good start.”
The race itself could be a stark contrast in other ways, as the typically unpredictable Sao Paulo weather set to rear its head and provide an additional challenge.
Norris said that there was “no point” in concerning himself with what was to come yet, with heavy rain set to fall before the Sprint.
“No, no. Yeah, we’ll wait and see what tomorrow is going to do,” he said. “You know, it’s meant to rain a lot in the morning. It’s meant to still be incredibly windy.
“So make sure everyone brings their rain jackets and gets ready. But I don’t know. No point worrying about anything for now. I’m happy with today. It was difficult.
“It was a good job. I put things together, so now the focus will switch for tomorrow.”
READ MORE – Lando Norris takes dominant pole position for F1 Brazil GP Sprint
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