Norris rues ‘mistakes’ but pace ‘was easily there’ for Barcelona pole

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Lando Norris admitted that a series of early-lap errors cost him a realistic chance of securing pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix, as he finished second behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in Saturday’s qualifying shootout at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

After topping the first runs in Q3 by a razor-thin 0.017s over Piastri, Norris was unable to build on that early advantage.

In contrast, his McLaren teammate delivered a superb final flying lap to take pole by more than two-tenths of a second, while Norris improved only marginally.

“The Pace Was Easily There”

Reflecting on the result, Norris was clear about where things went wrong, pointing to a series of “little mistakes” early in the lap that hampered his overall time.

“Just a couple of little, little mistakes,” he lamented. “Turn one, kind of the first place you don't want to make a mistake just because it harms the rest of the lap with the tyres and things.

“So just a couple little squiggles there and then the exit of turn 4 as well. So, just not a perfect lap, not the cleanest lap. But I still improved surprisingly.

“So the pace was easily there, just a couple too many mistakes.”

Norris explained that the errors weren’t due to a lack of rhythm but rather trying to squeeze out too much performance.

“I know where I lost that time on the final lap. It was just trying a little bit too much and just not being quite tidy enough.

“Especially around a lap like Barcelona, one little oversteer in Turn 1, Turn 2, you kind of already know it's going to be a tricky rest of the lap.”

“Not the End of the World”

Despite the disappointment of missing out on what would have been a second consecutive pole position, Norris struck a composed tone, emphasizing the broader positives from the weekend.

“The speed was easily there today. Sometimes you don't put the laps in,” he explained. “But today it was good. I think I was a little bit behind [in the pitlane queue] at the start of qualifying and I caught up nicely.”

“It was good. I still feel fine. I'm so happy with the second, especially in Barcelona. It's not, not the end of the world. So a positive weekend.”

With hot conditions dominating the weekend and tyre degradation expected to be a key factor in Sunday’s race, Norris noted that McLaren’s strong all-around performance is encouraging.

“We've been, we've been good in all conditions so far,” said Norris. “It's obviously very hot, just a bit of a struggle for everyone.

“It's a struggle in qualifying to look after the tyres for one lap, so the race is then much trickier.

“But the car's been good the whole weekend, as we have shown today. That's always reassuring before Sunday.”

Norris will line up second on the grid, sandwiched between pole-sitter Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third — setting the stage for what promises to be a tense and strategic battle for victory in Barcelona, starting at Turn 1.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.