'I Didn't Do Anything Wrong': Norris Reacts To Momentarily Losing Sprint Pole Lap In China
F1Friday, 19 April 2024 at 16:30
Lando Norris reflected on the Sprint Shootout and his initial lap deletion ahead of the Sprint race at Shanghai International Circuit.
The McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris secured a pole position with a superb lap, -1.261 seconds ahead of the second fastest driver- the seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
Together, the two form a British front-row lockout for the Sprint Race that will follow on Saturday. What was special about Norris's performance was the tricky conditions in which he managed to put his lap together.
It was clear that every single driver was struggling to keep their car on the track, not to mention putting in faster and faster lap times. Asked "what sort of day" he's had, the 24-year-old told Sky Sports:
"Obviously, a good one. You never know what to expect in conditions like this, so it's always hard to anticipate things, and it makes you a bit more nervous than normal."
"Today proved that in these conditions, the car worked well, I felt very comfortable. I could push the car into a good window, and that matters a lot on a day like today."
Norris was apparently stuck behind a Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, with whom he kept catching up, which, on one hand, was positive because he was faster. But on the other hand, he couldn't set lap time as fast as he would have wanted until the final run.
"I didn't do a very good first two laps. I had to keep backing off, but I got a good final lap in, and that is all that matters."
The stewards initially deleted Norris's final (pole position) lap as he exceeded track limits on the last corner of the preceding lap. However, it became clear that he gained no advantage by doing so, and the lap was later reinstated. Asked what he thought while it was all happening, Norris responded:
"I have no idea. I saw on the board that I wasn't at the top, but I saw when I went over the line on the TV that I was, so I got a bit nervous, but I didn't do anything wrong, so it should be fine."
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