Chinese GP: Lando Norris admits mistakes, but says the McLaren car was ‘very difficult to drive’ in Shanghai | F1 news

Lando Norris has blamed himself for “making many mistakes” as he only qualified in the sixth for Saturday Grand Prix in Sprint.

Norris was faster with nearly half a second at the only practice session and looked good going to the last part of the Sprint qualification after heading SQ2.

The driver McLaren was the four tenths of the Oscar piastri teammate after his first SQ3 lap, then closed in the hair with his latest effort like Lewis Hamilton, who took the pole, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and George Russell all threw in front of him.

“I made a mistake. I closed in the last corner. We just fought a little more now, just not as fast as it should,” said Norris, who won the Australian Grand Prix that opened the season last Sunday.

“I have fought a lot with the car. Only our difficulties we have fought showed much more today. So nothing more than that, honestly. Just a lot of mistakes, but just very difficult for a car to drive.”

Norris took the most common pole positions in 2024 but the minor mistakes from him or the team often dedicate them to the competition. It is an area that McLaren has sought to iron, especially as Verstappen is almost always there to capitalize.

The disappointing performance was “more for me than the car” according to Norris after “trying to push too much”.

“I think that only all day we have been fighting a little with the front closure and in the last corner on the tail,” he added.

“A much more aligned with Bahrain, just much easier. When the wind is blowing, we fight a lot more. I think I and I and I fought more, clearly me more than it. Just pushing a little hard to try to create as fast as we should.”

McLaren’s secure piastre can still fight in the front

McLaren have been strong in heavy fuel during testing before season and last weekend in Melbourne, with Mercedes and Red Bull stating that they are a step forward regarding tire dressing.

Sprint in Shanghai, which takes place at 3am on Saturday Live on Sky Sports F1 AND Sky Sports Main EventsThere will be 19 long laps and long corners mean tire degradation is a matter.

The piastri, who will start from the third, thinks McLaren got the wrong qualifying Sprint plan and should be in shape in the trimmed 100 km race.

“We were fast at the wrong points. SQ1 and SQ2 felt good, but SQ3, we tried something a little different and we came out much earlier, we tried two laps, which I’m not sure was the best thing in the end. It is something we have to look at,” he said.

“But the rhythm of the car is still very strong and I’m sure we can fight at the front.”

Verstappen: It will be difficult to keep mclarens after

The reign of the world champion Verstappen was as surprising as the Hamilton Sprint Pole.

Only 0.018s divided the duo, which will divide the first row of the network for the first time since Grand Prix Hungarian of 2023.

“The balance was not massively turned off. We were just too slow,” Verstappen said.

“But that is good for us, a small increase in motivation for all those who continue to nail laps and maximize everything you have and you have to do it, as well as when you are fighting a little more about the rhythm.”

On McLaren’s expected accusation, he added: “They looked very soon until the last run, so it will be difficult to keep behind. Hopefully it will be fun and we can compete a little, that would be good for me.”

Verstappen’s teammate Liam Lawson had another disappointing qualification as an error in the middle sector left it in the last position and outside in SQ1.

“I left in my second lap. Of course a shame. From a starting point it was not very bad. The first lap was fine and we were looking to build from there,” he said.

“We stood out to try and cool the tires and I really tried to drop the temperatures. We started very hot and through my lap I fought. It is disappointing.”

Russell ‘surprised’ by McLaren performance

Mercedes was unable to join Sprint Pole’s fight in Shanghai while Russell qualified for fifth and chemistry Antoneli seventh.

Russell was three tenths from Hamilton but beat Norris and will surely play a role in Sprint.

“Very happy with the lap in SQ3. Well done for Lewis. This was a pretty great lap,” Russell said.

“I think P5 was where we were today. It was strange. In SQ2 at one point I was off the top 10, the other that was thrown up to P2, and it was not different, to be honest.

“I think this could just go in any way among the best teams. It was a little surprise with McLaren because they were flying in practice, flying to SQ1 and SQ2, but then, in the end, Lewis and Max did a good job.

“We were right after them. I think we got a sprint kick. It could be an interesting race.”

Sky Sports F1 Chinese GP Program Live

Saturday March 22

• 2.25AM: Chinese construction GP Sprint **
• 3 morning: Chinese Sprint GP*
• 5.45AM: F1 Academy Race 1*
• 6.35AM: Chinese GP Construction Qualification **
• 7 Morning: Qualification of Chinese GP*
• 9 Morning: TED Qualifying Notebook*

Sunday March 23

• 2.40: 00: F1 Academy Race 2
• 5.30 morning: Chinese GP Construction: Grand Prix Sunday*
• 7 morning: Chinese Grand Prix*
• 9:00: Chinese GP reaction: Controlled flag*
• 10:00: TED Notebook*

*Also in the main event of Sky Sports

Formula 1 is in Shanghai this week for the first weekend of the season sprint in Chinese GP, Live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – without contract, cancel at any time