The return car to the taste of Norris as a “small margin” costs him the Japanese GP post

Lando Norris insists that he is much more satisfied with his car McLaren Formula 1 than in China – although she was beaten at the Japanese Grand Prix pole by Max Verstappen.

The current championship chief deplored the small margins for missing the post 0.012 second in Suzuka while Verstappen surprisingly took first place ahead of Norris and his teammate McLaren Oscar Piastri.

Throughout the Chinese GP weekend a fortnight ago, Norris explained how much he found the difficulty of the car, with small errors costing him both in qualification sessions and the sprint race in Shanghai.

Now he feels in a better position, although he was stung in Pole by Verstappen. Norris had already been the fastest in FP1 and FP3, while Piastri was at the top of the battery in the second training.

“I was quite happy with my knees, honestly,” said Norris.

“I tried to push a good amount in the third trimester, and it did not work, clearly. So I had to just pick it up a lot.

“I was satisfied with the balance and satisfied with the car at the end. I mean, the margin is so small … but not enough for the post today.

“(I am) much happier than China, yeah. I mean, the car is much more back for my taste. I have an advantage in the car, and I am much happier with that.

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo of: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“I felt confident all weekend. If it was a sprint race, I have the impression that I would be much more advanced.

“But everyone is quite good that, when you qualify, they catch up a bit. I felt good, but the car felt so good.

“We have moved away, and I think that between the two of us, we were the fastest in each session, block it. So, it’s a bit frustrating, but I think the corners I still fight with and the corners with which I am still not the happiest are the corners that I still do not have the front and I do not have the grip in the car when I need the front.

“It is therefore clear what suits me, what does not do, or just what allows me to be fast and what does not do it. China was one of those weakest tracks and coming here and the car is much better.”

Norris beat Verstappen of less than a second to win the Australian opening of the season, a race where the showers have certainly added to the show.

With rain forecasts overnight in Suzuka and a show potential on Sunday, Norris was not ready to predict what could happen because he fights once again to the line.

“No one knows what he’s going to have time tomorrow, so we don’t try to think about too many things,” he said.

“I think we will do our homework tonight. It will probably be a bit of a race like Melbourne, and it was an exciting race for everyone, but now I have to try to go beyond, we will see.

“It’s exciting, the unknown time will make him exciting and scary for everyone and I have to try to overcome man on my left (Verstappen).”

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Toshifumi Kitamura – AFP – Getty Images

Piastri, who won in China after taking his very first Grand Prix pole, will start in second row after losing time during the first fast sector.

The Australian established the fastest times in the two and three sectors, but could not compensate for the precious moments lost at the start of his last flight round and, in direct contrast to his teammate, said he had to work harder to find the Sweet Spot of McLaren in Suzuka.

“It was not my best sector,” he said. “I think I lost a little time compared to the first round of the third quarter and, when the gap is 0.040 from the first to the third, you think about it a little.

“I was quite comfortable thanks to qualifications – I think the first round of Q3 was good.

“The second, just a little out of the brand in a few places, but I had to compose a little more this weekend than the last race, and it took a little more time to get there.

“I think that looking at the margins and how I played, I was quite happy, just these little margins which, when it is so tight, make all the difference, clearly.

“(Now) just see what it does. Obviously, the match plan is to try to finish two places before where I start. But other than that, we will see what we get tomorrow first.”

Japanese GP photos – Practical and qualification