'Reality Check' Hits McLaren As Both Drivers Get Knocked Out Of Q1 In Las Vegas

Saturday, 18 November 2023 at 22:00

Lando Norris reacted to both McLaren drivers getting knocked out of Q1 during the Qualifying at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

The Saturday Qualifying session did not go as planned for the McLaren F1 team. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were surprisingly not fast enough to get through to the second part of Qualifying.

Norris avoided predicting the pace of his team ahead of the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, but it is safe to say he would not expect such a shocking qualification. The 24-year-old F1 TV:

"Not great, because I got knocked out. The pace of the car was where we are, to be honest - it's where we've been all weekend."

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The McLaren drivers were fifth and sixth when they put their first laps in, so it did not seem as if they lacked so much pace. However, Norris says his team might have expected this result after the three practice sessions.

"We've been a long way off the pace, but I think we expected it to be honest. So it's been a tough weekend, the car has not been performing."

The Las Vegas Strip Circuit seems to be more suitable for cars like Ferrari that perform well on low-downforce circuits. The two Ferrari drivers proved the point when they scored a one-two in Qualifying.

The last time that McLaren lost both their cars in Q1 was this year in Miami. The team made huge steps forward since then and was expected to compete for the podium in Vegas. Norris concluded:

"I guess it's disappointing, but at the same time, since our first few laps we already knew we were not really very quick. In a way, I would say it's a good thing that it's kept us in a bit of a reality check."

McLaren currently stands 21 points ahead of Aston Martin in the Constructors' Championship and the bad qualification result gives their rival a hope of catching up in the last two races of the season.