Lando Norris is brimming with confidence as he heads into the Hungarian Grand Prix after clinching pole position in a dramatic qualifying session. The McLaren driver edged out teammate Oscar Piastri by a mere 0.022 seconds to secure the top spot.
Norris set a formidable provisional pole lap of 1m 15.227s during the initial runs of Q3. However, the session took a twist when Yuki Tsunoda's crash brought out a red flag. With the clock ticking down and weather conditions shifting, Norris held his ground as the rest of the field struggled to improve their times.
Reflecting on his performance, Norris expressed his satisfaction:
“I’m very, very happy. It wasn’t an easy qualifying with the difficult conditions, but ending up on top is always the best part. I’m especially pleased for the team; a one-two is even better to see, so congratulations to everyone.”
When asked if the result had boosted the team’s confidence heading into the race, Norris replied:
“It does, but we already had confidence. We’ve come into this weekend and the last few with a strong belief in our capabilities. We’ve got a good car, and we showed that today. It’s a great job by the team, and it’s sweet to end up on pole.”
Norris was also optimistic about the team’s race pace, adding:
“We’re in the best position for whatever conditions come our way, so I’m looking forward to it. With two cars on the front row, we can control the race from there. As long as we stay where we are, we’ll be happy.”
Regarding his race ambitions, Norris was clear:
“I’m expecting to win. If I don’t, it won’t have been a good day. The car’s performing well, and I feel like I’m driving well, so the goal for tomorrow is obvious.”
Oscar Piastri, who will start from second place, shared his excitement about McLaren’s performance, despite his slight disappointment at missing out on pole:
“It’s great to be here, especially with a result like this. It’s McLaren’s first one-two in qualifying for a long time, so I’m very happy. Of course, missing out by just two hundredths makes you think about all the small things you could have done better.”
Piastri continued:
“It wasn’t easy; there were a lot of decisions on the fly. But to end up with both cars on the front row is an amazing result. I had a bit of a tricky day yesterday, so it was nice to bounce back this morning and in quali.”
On whether he could have done anything differently, Piastri said:
“Not really. The first lap yes, but the second lap was pretty good. I’ve already pinpointed where I was a little slower, but overall, I’m happy with the lap I did.”
Looking ahead to the race, Piastri acknowledged the significance of the championship battle:
“I want to get into the lead, but with both cars on the front row, we have a big task ahead of us. We’ll be smart about it, as we’re aiming to win the championship as a team.”
“We’ve got a very quick car, and it’s been working extremely well this weekend. We want to keep this one-two position, and I think we’ll fight amongst ourselves for the top spot.”
Stay tuned for more updates and follow all the action from the Hungarian Grand Prix as Norris and Piastri look to turn their qualifying success into race day glory.
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