McLaren has pointed the finger at Lando Norris for encountering traffic on the final lap of SQ3 at the Qatar Grand Prix. Norris was initially in second place behind his teammate Oscar Piastri during his first lap in SQ3. However, he dropped to third after George Russell claimed the provisional pole position. The championship leader couldn’t improve his time on his final attempt, ending the sprint race in third place. Norris’ last lap was ruined as he was about 70 seconds off the pace and went wide at the final corner, largely due to being held up by Alex Albon, who was also on a fast lap, meaning no breach of F1 rules occurred.
A team radio exchange revealed McLaren acknowledged their own fault for sending Norris out too late. The race engineer, Will Joseph, remarked “That’s P3,” to which Norris responded, “Yes, it’s okay. It’s our own fault for going out too late.” Joseph then criticized Norris, saying he had let Albon through, and Norris accepted the blame, saying, “It was my fault.” Since Piastri managed his lap without traffic, being released earlier, McLaren’s error was clear.
Norris briefly commented on the incident with Albon during an F1 TV interview, accepting the situation with “Yeah, but that’s life.” Despite missing a front-row grid spot, Norris was positive about his pace, stating, “The pace was there. I made a mistake on the last corner of the first lap and couldn’t get it together.”
Knowing overtaking at Lusail International Circuit is challenging, Norris expressed doubts about finishing better than third if he can’t pass Russell early in the race. He emphasized, “I’m here to win,” and noted the difficulty of overtaking on this track, suggesting third might be the best achievable finish unless he gets past Russell at the start.
Fan Take: This scenario highlights how critical timing and team strategy are in qualifying sessions, often making or breaking a driver’s chances. For racing fans, it underscores the fine margins that can influence race outcomes and the dynamic nature of F1 competition, where team coordination is just as crucial as driver skill.
