- MELBOURNE — Lando Norris was beaming with joy after securing pole position for
the Australian Grand Prix, outpacing teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen
in a dramatic qualifying session at Albert Park.
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- Reflecting on the session, Norris hailed McLaren’s
progress and their perfect start to the 2025 season. “Very good! It’s the
perfect way to start the year,” he said. “First of all, a big congrats to the
team – everyone at McLaren has done an amazing job to continue from where we
were at the end of last season, to start with a 1-2.”
- In a thrilling Q3 showdown, Norris put in a sensational
lap of 1m 15.096s, bouncing back after his initial effort was deleted due to
track limits violation. The McLaren driver edged out Piastri by just 0.084s,
ensuring a dream front-row lockout for the team.
Also read: Formula 1: Antonelli frustrated by car damage after Q1 exit in Australian GP
- While delighted with his pole, Norris remained cautious
about the race, especially with rain expected on Sunday. “It’s just quali,
right? Let’s wait and see tomorrow. I know it’s going to be a tricky race, but
today was the perfect way to start,” he added.
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- The looming threat of wet weather could shake up the grid
and introduce fresh challenges, with Norris acknowledging the unpredictability
of a rain-affected race. “I’m confident that the car’s in a good position, but
we’ve also never run in the wet. We know how quick Max and Red Bull are in the
rain, so let’s wait and see. There will be many opportunities for everyone, but
also a lot of new things that we’re going to be learning along the way.”
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- For local hero Piastri, the session brought mixed
emotions. The young Australian narrowly missed out on a maiden pole position in
front of his home crowd but still secured a front-row start. “I’m pretty
happy,” he admitted. “It’s probably one position further back than I would’ve
liked, but it’s a great start to the year and great to have the team on the
front row.”
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