Lando Norris laments ‘mistakes’ during Bahrain qualifying, insists he could have finished higher

Lando Norris was eyeing a top three start for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Lando Norris laments ‘mistakes’ during Bahrain qualifying, insists he could have finished higher

Lando Norris (Via: Imago)

Lando Norris, the McLaren F1 driver, was riding high on confidence after a productive outing during yesterday’s FP3 session. However, after making it to Q3 during qualifying, Norris was not able to put his best foot forward.

When things mattered, Lando Norris committed a few silly errors that caused him to only manage a seventh-place starting position for the upcoming 57-lap Bahrain Grand Prix. He firmly believes that had he not committed certain errors, he could have managed to start the race from the extreme north end.

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While shedding light on his up and down outing during quali, Norris during the post-quali interviews said,

I made a mistake in turn 1 and turn 4, if I improved one tenth then I would gain a few positions, but when the wind calmed down the car came alive. It's something we knew from pre-season testing that onces the temperature cools down then the car comes together. It was possible [P2], but it's a good thing for the team.

Looking at the reaction of the Brit, it is quite clear that he’s not happy with the errors he made during his fast lap, coming out of Turn1 and Turn4. He ardently feels that he could have managed a starting place alongside the prolific Max Verstappen, who is starting the upcoming race from the pole position.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are starting the Bahrain GP from the fourth row

While Lando Norris is utterly disappointed with how Q3 panned out for him last night, ahead of the Bahrain race, he has a fascinating prospect to dwell upon. His teammate, Oscar Piastri was also able to make it to Q3 and was able to put up a time that was good enough for eighth place.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (via IMAGO).

This means that the young McLaren duo will be seen starting the Bahrain Grand Prix alongside each other. Norris and Piastri are both fiercely competitive drivers and considering this, fireworks could go off between them heading into Turn 1 at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Moreover, they will also have the lights of former world champions, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso starting in their close vicinity. Keeping in view everything that has been discussed, the early few moments of the Bahrain race will be a nerve-wracking affair for the McLaren pit wall. It has the potential to make or break Norris and Piastri’s race.

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