Lando Norris expressed that his dominant run to pole position at Formula 1‘s Austrian Grand Prix provided him “reassurance” amid his struggles in qualifying in 2025.
Norris commanded proceedings at the Red Bull Ring as he secured top spot with a lap that was 0.525 seconds quicker than his closest rival, Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.
Having been on the sidelines in FP1 as rookie Alex Dunne took his place, Norris underlined his weekend credentials as he headed the second and third practice hours.
The Briton clocked table-topping times again in Q1 and Q2 prior to opening up a two-tenth advantage over the chasing pack on his opening lap in the top-10 shootout.
But while those behind were unable to challenge his original time, Norris improved on his second attempt in Q3 to cement pole with the biggest margin of the season.
Asked how close to excellence his last run was, Norris told media including Motorsport Week: “Well, it’s impossible to say, but as close as I would probably ask for.
“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 with the high speed in [Turns] 6 and 7, 9 and 10, you’ve got to commit and it’s exciting and nerve-racking.
“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.”
Norris delivering when it counts has been a scarce sight during this campaign as there have been multiple occasions where errors in Q3 have compromised his races.
The six-time F1 race winner insisted his unrivalled showing in Spielberg – where he took his maiden podium in 2020 – shows what he can do when he gels with the car.
“It’s still trickier in some places, but on the whole, it was easily my best qualifying of the year from a delivery point of view from every single lap I did,” he explained.
“I still made a couple of mistakes here and there, but none that cost me a lap or anything, just maybe a tenth here or half a tenth there.
“I think on deliveries, consistency and putting it in when it counts in Q3 was easily the best lap I’ve done for this whole season, probably even better than Monaco.
“Maybe not as exciting a lap as Monaco, but definitely a better put together lap than I did there.
“I think it showed today that when I have those feelings, well, it’s still not all there, but more there than before, I can have a day like today.
“So it shows that the feelings I’ve been requiring, the feelings that I’ve not been getting as easily,
when they are more my way and more where I want them to be, I can put in better performances and have days like today.
“So, I think that’s reassuring for myself, which is a very nice feeling.
“But it’s still about consistency. This is one weekend, I’ve got to do it for another, what, 12 or 13 or something.”
Norris has retained the front suspension that McLaren debuted in Canada that is tailored towards improving the “numbness” that has caught him out with the MCL39.
But he admitted it was “hard to put a percentage” on how much that has helped him, as he warned that his strong track record in Austria could be skewing the picture.
“I said at the beginning of the weekend when we all sat down, like, I still expect more from myself at times.
“No matter what car I get given, I still expect to do a good job in whatever car that is, whether I struggle with some of the feelings or not.
“But, you know, when you’re fighting against the best, you want everything to feel the best possible. This weekend, I feel like I’ve had a little bit more of that.
“It could also be a bit track-specific rather than just car-specific, because there have been some tracks this season I felt more comfortable than others.
“But 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.
“So, I’m never going to just blame the car, and I’m never going to say I blame anything, but there are reasons for different things.
“What’s most reassuring for me is when I’ve got some other feelings that I need, I do do a better job. That’s the best news that comes out of some of these things.”
READ MORE – Lando Norris dominates qualifying to take F1 Austrian GP pole
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