Lando Norris fourth and just 0.2s off pole with superb Abu Dhabi GP qualifying lap in the McLaren; Norris speaks to Sky F1 about his surprise, McLaren's battle with Racing Point, and beating team-mate Carlos Sainz
Saturday 12 December 2020 17:14, UK
Lando Norris ensured Max Verstappen wasn't the only driver to pull off a qualifying surprise at the Abu Dhabi GP as the McLaren starlet secured fourth - and incredibly just 0.2s off pole position - with one of the laps of the day, later admitting he had no idea why he was so fast.
Norris hadn't even qualified in the top six since early September before F1's final shootout of the season - with McLaren, while in the hunt for third in the championship, openly admitting they have a slower car than most of their midfield rivals - but the Englishman crushed his competition and even challenged pole-sitter Verstappen and the Mercedes at Yas Marina.
Asked if he was surprised, Norris, who equalled his best-ever qualifying result and beat Red Bull's Alex Albon, told Sky F1's Natalie Pinkham: "Yes. A lot. I mean I don't really know where it came from!
"I think we've been confident all weekend and we've been doing a good job and the car has been a lot nicer this weekend than last weekend, so we understand some things, but at the end of the day to only be two tenths off... if I'm P4 and one second off that's normal, I kind of get that. But to be two tenths off pole, that surprises me a bit more.
"I'm happy because I felt like I did a very good lap, and I think that showed with my gap to Carlos [Sainz, 0.318s], one of the biggest of the whole year.
"I'm very happy because I think I deserved it and I put a very good lap together. But at the same time, to be two tenths off pole position is not that much at the end of the day.
"Surprised but also very happy and in a good position for tomorrow."
The McLaren driver's lap was hailed as better than Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas' by Sky F1's Anthony Davidson, and Norris added: "We've not really been within a second all weekend but as we came into qualifying the car has just hooked up and came alive.
"A few things to understand on our behalf, why and how this has happened, but for a Saturday and how we were approaching this weekend it's the perfect start."
McLaren's performance, with Sainz sixth, could be huge in their fight for third in the Constructors' Championship. Racing Point are 10 points ahead, but Lance Stroll was only eighth in qualifying while Sergio Perez will start on the back row of the grid on Sunday due to an engine penalty.
"It's the perfect Saturday," said Norris. "I don't think we can rule anything out because Perez came from last last weekend and he's often come from the back and had a podium or something.
"They're going to be coming through, they're going to be fast tomorrow. Sergio's been quite a bit quicker than Lance all weekend so if anyone's coming through it's going to be Sergio. Their cars very quick, but at the same time today we were in a good rhythm and was performing well. We'll see what we can do tomorrow."
With his superb lap, Norris also wrapped up the qualifying head-to-head against McLaren team-mate Sainz, beating the Spaniard, who is joining Ferrari next year, 9-8 over the year.
"I would say this time I did it more in a decent way," Norris stated. "It wasn't by one thousandth or two hundredths, or because he made a mistake, it was just because I did a very good lap and I think honestly it was the first time this weekend that I crossed the line and I smiled, I was actually smiling.
"It's nice because I changed a few things, with my engineers, with my mentality and my approach coming into qualifying because it's been an area I've been struggling with lately.
"I feel like it's paid off today and it's been my best weekend of the whole year so far. Many good things to take into next year already, but for a Saturday, for the final weekend of the year, I'm good."
