Lando Norris reckoned that McLaren had reached “the limit of what we had” in Saturday’s Japanese Grand Prix qualifying, with the Briton trailing surprise poleman Max Verstappen by just 0.012s.
The session saw McLaren showcase impressive pace once again, consistent with its performance across the weekend, with Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri topping every practice session.
However, despite their strong form, the Briton admitted post-qualifying that McLaren had reached the edge of their potential during qualifying, setting the stage for a fierce battle in Sunday’s race.
Speaking to Sky Sports after Q3, Norris was gracious in defeat, acknowledging Verstappen’s stellar performance while reflecting on his own efforts.
"I'm happy. Congrats to Max. He did a good job, so hats off to him. You have to credit something when it's a lap that good that he must have done," Norris said, tipping his hat to the Dutchman’s near-flawless lap that edged him out.
Verstappen’s Red Bull RB21 had faced challenges earlier in the season, but his pole lap demonstrated a return to form that Norris couldn’t quite match.
The McLaren driver was candid about his own performance, admitting that he had extracted everything possible from the MCL38.
"I feel I got everything out of the car. Just a tiny [margin] but Max did an amazing lap," he explained.
Despite the narrow gap, Norris felt the team had hit a ceiling.
“I feel like we were on the limit of what we had, we just didn't have enough today," he added, a statement that underscored McLaren’s struggle to find that extra fraction of pace needed to topple Verstappen.
Delving into the specifics of his Q3 runs, Norris pinpointed where things slipped away.
"I dipped a wheel on the exit of Turn 7, so just a couple of little mistakes and it shows how easy it is to lose lap time," he noted, highlighting the razor-thin margins at play on Suzuka’s unforgiving track.
His first flying lap had been compromised, but he rallied for his final attempt.
"My [last] lap was very good. If I were to go again, I probably wouldn't go as quick as I did," he admitted, suggesting he’d hit the absolute peak of what was possible in that moment.
While McLaren’s pace was evident with both drivers near the front – Piastri qualified close behind in third – Norris remained unsatisfied.
“For both of us to be up there is good, but it's not enough," he said, a sentiment that reflected the team’s hunger for more than just a strong showing.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix, Norris turned his focus to the unpredictable elements that could shake up the order. With an 86% chance of rain forecast, the race promises potential chaos reminiscent of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
“That's the goal but no one knows what the weather is going to do tomorrow. It could be another race like Australia," Norris mused.
"It will be an exciting race. We want to get past Max but he will put up a good fight but I've been there before so I'm excited for it," he declared, his confidence buoyed by past battles with the Red Bull ace.
Having diced with Verstappen on numerous occasions, Norris knows what’s at stake and is ready to seize any opportunity that arises.
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