The British driver will start from the third position in the 53-lap race, while his teammate, Oscar Piastri, will start from the third row, in sixth place.
Although McLaren has not been able to keep up with the speed of the championship leaders, Oracle Red Bull Racing, they seem to have surpassed their closest rivals, Scuderia Ferrari, during the Qualifying session. The Ferrari drivers, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc, only managed fourth and eighth places, respectively.
Currently in third place in the Constructors’ Championship, with 55 points, the team based in Woking is behind Red Bull and Ferrari. With Norris scoring 28 points and Piastri 27 after three rounds, their overall performance is promising and seems to be balanced between the two drivers.
Norris is hopeful that this will translate into valuable points for the team as a whole on Sunday. After Qualifying, he expressed his satisfaction, saying: “I’m very pleased with today’s performance. We had a competitive car and I managed to fight in qualifying with some good laps, especially in Q3.”
“It’s always nice to be here in front of the fans, and I’m happy to have secured third place on the grid for tomorrow’s race. We had a strong car throughout the weekend and made progress, which is satisfying. We are working hard and gradually seeing the results of our efforts,” added the 24-year-old driver, who is aiming for his first win in Formula 1.
Piastri, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on the day of Qualifying in Japan, couldn’t match Norris’ lap time and finished in sixth place. The Australian driver expressed his disappointment, saying: “I just didn’t have the pace from Q2. I struggled to find the rhythm, which is frustrating.”
“I have some areas to focus with my engineers overnight, but the competition is very tough out there. Tomorrow is a great opportunity for me to improve and score points in the race,” Piastri concluded.
McLaren Team Principal, Andrea Stella, expressed his satisfaction with the result of Saturday’s Qualifying session. He said: “It was a positive qualifying session for the team. With third and sixth places, we are in a good position to score valuable points tomorrow.”
“It is also rewarding to see that we are the second best team behind Red Bull, although we are aware that this track suits the characteristics of our car and these are just qualifying conditions,” the Italian added.
Stella also praised both Lando and Oscar for their performance during the session, saying: “Both drivers did a great job in Q1 and Q2, putting in solid laps and allowing us to progress in these sessions with just one set of tires each, saving two new sets for Q3.”
“The drivers and the whole team have been performing well so far. Now we need to prepare well and capitalize on today’s performance with a strong result in the race,” Stella concluded.
The Japanese Grand Prix will start at 06:00 GMT (14:00 local time) on Sunday, April 7.
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Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton secured another victory this weekend at the Portuguese Grand Prix. With an impressive performance, Hamilton overtook his competitors and secured the top spot on the podium. This was the British driver’s third consecutive win this season.
The race in Portimão was thrilling and full of overtakes. Hamilton, who started in second place, quickly took the lead and didn’t give any chances to the other drivers. With a perfect strategy, the Mercedes driver managed to control the advantage and crossed the finish line with a comfortable margin.
The second place went to Max Verstappen, from the Red Bull team. The Dutch driver also had an excellent race and showed that he is determined to fight for the title. The third place was taken by Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton’s teammate.
With this victory, Lewis Hamilton solidifies his position as the leader of the Formula 1 championship. The British driver is getting closer and closer to winning his eighth world title, which would be a historic achievement. The next race will be held at the Spanish Grand Prix, and all eyes will be on Hamilton, who is looking for another victory.
