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Norris on 'tough' pole position in Singapore: 'I kept it cool'
Lando Norris secured his sixth Formula 1 pole position in Singapore at the Marina Bay Street Circuit after a nail-biting qualifying session. The Brit will lead the field away from the lights tomorrow but must be wary of championship leader Max Verstappen, who starts alongside him in second. After qualifying, Norris reflected on an exciting session.
Norris reacts to his 'tough' pole position
Immediately after getting out of his car, Norris said: "It was tough, especially through qualifying. I was finding it a little difficult to progress and gain a lot of lap time. And all of the guys around seemed to get quicker and quicker, so it put me under a bit more pressure, especially with just one lap at the end. It was good enough for pole, and I’m happy with that, especially here in Singapore. A good feeling. I’ve felt good all weekend, I’ve felt confident, maybe not so much in quali, but we got the job done," The McLaren driver revealed after securing his sixth career pole.
How did Norris cope with the pressure?
After Carlos Sainz's big Q3 smash, qualifying was delayed after a red flag was flown. This meant that just a few minutes were left for the drivers to set one lap at the end of the session. How does Norris deal with the pressure of this? "I like it. It gets your heart rate going, and it’s good fun. My lap wasn’t as good as my lap previous to the red flag, so there’s always just that little bit more in it. But the car’s been feeling good, and when you have a good feeling car, and you’re confident, you can go out and push and get the lap time, so I did the job I had to do today and am excited to see what we can do tomorrow," he explained.
"A little bit of it is just that I had faith we were quick, so I didn’t have to over-push, and I could just do what I’ve been doing the whole weekend. That’s a nice feeling that I didn’t have to go over and beyond, but it’s tricky. The car’s moving around, it’s bumpy, and it’s easy to brake one metre too late all of a sudden. You pay the price for over-driving and over-pushing. But I kept it cool, and I did what I had to do, so I’m happy," Norris concluded.
The Brit will be hoping to convert his Singapore Grand Prix pole into a much-needed victory. Norris' championship charge will seem much more possible if the McLaren star can continue to cut into Max Verstappen's 59-point lead.
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