Lando Norris admitted he piled “unnecessary pressure” on himself during a tense São Paulo Grand Prix qualifying session – but the McLaren star kept his cool when it mattered most to deliver one of his finest laps of the season.
The Briton looked in trouble early in Q3 after a lock-up at Turn 1 ruined his first flying lap, leaving him languishing in 10th place.
With the track grippy in patches and slick in others, Norris faced the kind of high intensity moment that has caught him out before this year.
“It was tough out there with the conditions. Just slippery. Inconsistent but good fun,” Norris said claiming his 15th career pole in F1.
“It’s always a pleasure around this track, you know. I felt good. I was under a bit of a pressure because I locked up in my first lap so a little more stressful also than I would have liked.
“I stayed calm and put it all together when it mattered so very happy.”
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That final-lap recovery – a stunning 1m09.511s – put Norris nearly two-tenths clear of Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli and ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, securing his second consecutive pole of the weekend after his Sprint qualifying performance on Friday.
Form, Focus, and the Championship Picture
Norris’ display in Brazil continues a blistering late-season surge. Having opened up a nine-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri – who crashed out of the Sprint earlier in the day and will start Sunday’s race fourth – the Briton now has the chance to further tighten his grip on the championship with just four rounds remaining.
“We’ve been on very good form. The team are good at giving me a great car, of course. I’ve always got to thank the team. I didn’t make it easy for them or myself then,” he said.
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“I am still having to push. Q3, run one, locking up in Turn 1. It puts unnecessary pressure on myself and the others are doing a good job.
“I think when I am in a good rhythm, when I can stay calm and when I can put it together I will be on top.”
It’s a demonstration of composure that marks how far Norris has come. Earlier in the season, scrappy final laps in Q3 cost him prime starting positions, but since the summer break, his qualifying precision – and psychological resilience – have been a key weapon.
Eyes on the Race
Looking ahead to Sunday’s main event, Norris expects another fight from Antonelli and Leclerc – but hopes for a straightforward race after a chaotic sprint day.
“I learned that they’re pretty quick and that Kimi pushes all the way until the very end,” Norris said.
“In some ways looking forward to it, in some ways I’m not. I think it’s going to be a big challenge tomorrow. We have to see what the weather is going to do again.
“So far this weekend has been clean, so I’m hoping they don’t ruin it.”
If Norris can keep his head as cool as it was in qualifying, Brazil could mark a decisive step toward his first world championship.
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