Lando Norris blames Sepang tarmac as McLaren struggle in Bahrain GP qualifying
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McLaren's Lando Norris qualified sixth-fastest, sixth-tenths of a second slower than pole sitter Max Verstappen, but will start fifth after Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar received a grid penalty that drops him from third to eighth.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Lando Norris blamed the unique Sepang tarmac for McLaren's slow pace in Bahrain GP qualifying, noting the car struggled with speed on straights and overall pace.
- Norris qualified sixth but will start fifth due to a grid penalty for another driver, while teammate Oscar Piastri qualified seventh and will start alongside him.
- Both drivers acknowledged the challenges but remain hopeful the race strategy can improve their results despite Red Bull being dominant at this circuit.
AI generated
SEPANG, Malaysia - World champion Lando Norris found himself wrestling with an uncooperative McLaren in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Oct 3 in Malaysia, attributing his team’s struggles to the circuit's unique surface.
Norris qualified sixth-fastest, sixth-tenths of a second slower than pole sitter Max Verstappen, but will start fifth after Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar received a grid penalty that drops him from third to eighth.
The McLaren driver, who is fourth in the championship, did not mince words about his car’s performance on the Sepang tarmac.
“We are just slow. The car’s not good enough here,” Norris told reporters.
“This tarmac is very different to a lot of other tracks we have been to this year and therefore I think you see Mercedes struggle a lot more today especially, you see Red Bull quicker than they usually are.
“So I think the order has shaken up a little bit and I think we struggle a little bit more than what we were expecting because of the surface.”
Norris said he was pleased with his final qualifying lap and felt he had extracted the maximum from the car.
“However, it’s clear we are a long way off the pace. My car is struggling with speed on the straights and we’ve lacked general pace all weekend,” he added.
“So starting fifth is not a surprise. We don’t expect any miracles and it’s obvious the Red Bulls are in a class of their own here.”
His teammate Oscar Piastri was seventh-fastest but will line up alongside Norris on the third row due to Hadjar’s penalty.
“Not quite the session we wanted. We’re struggling a bit for pace here. But overall I was reasonably happy with things,” Piastri said.
“An extra tenth (of a second) would have been good... We were just not quite quick enough here unfortunately. It’s going to be a race where we can do a lot with strategy - and then hopefully pace.” REUTERS