Norris hopes dominant Austrian GP pole ‘is just the beginning’

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Lando Norris delivered a dominant performance to seize pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix, and the McLaren driver hopes Saturday’s statement lap at the Red Bull Ring marks the start of a mid-season resurgence.

Despite missing the opening practice session on Friday – with McLaren junior Alex Dunne taking the wheel for FP1 – Norris has looked unstoppable ever since, topping every session and stamping his authority on qualifying with a blistering lap of 1m03.971s.

The Briton outpaced Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and teammate Oscar Piastri by over half a second to secure his thrid pole of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Norris was visibly pleased with his execution in Q3, describing the final lap as a product of meticulous planning and gradual refinement.

“It was a good lap, that's for sure,” Norris said. “I guess just a little bit by little bit [I improved].

“I feel like my Q3 [lap] 1 was good but I knew there were a few places where if I just got it right, I could get quite a bit more time and I did exactly that.

“So I did what I planned to do and when I plan to do something and it goes right, it normally goes very, very well. Yeah, very happy.

“It's a good day. It's been a good weekend for me so far. So hopefully we can keep it up.”

A Pivotal Moment for Norris

The result comes at a crucial point in Norris’ campaign. Despite strong showings in races earlier this year, he has often found himself outshone by Piastri in qualifying and was 22 points behind the Australian heading into the Austrian round – a deficit made worse by his painful DNF in Canada following a run-in with his teammate.

Read also: Piastri frustrated after yellow flag ruins final flyer in qualifying

But Saturday’s result offered a much-needed boost, and Norris hopes it’s the first of many more standout weekends.

“It's a long season so I [will] savour this moment, especially because some of my tougher moments have been in quali,” he said.

“So to put in a lap like today, to have the performance throughout the weekend like I had, was pleasing for myself.

“But I'm excited. It's a long race tomorrow. It's just a long season and I'm very happy with today, but I want to prove it to myself over and over again and hopefully, it's just the beginning of it.”

With Norris now looking increasingly comfortable in McLaren’s upgraded package, and with his qualifying woes seemingly behind him, Sunday’s race presents a major opportunity to convert pace into points – and potentially swing momentum in the title fight.

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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.