Rookie Lando Norris secured a top ten grid slot on his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in F1 Australian Grand Prix qualifying Saturday while his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. qualified 18th.
McLaren showed signs of improvement in winter testing, but 19-year-old Norris exceeded all expectations to qualify eighth for the Australian Grand Prix. Having never previously driven the circuit in real life, he admitted that he had completed some 600 laps on the F1 2018 computer game as preparation; Norris is already showing just why McLaren were so keen to get him in their car for this season.
“I enjoyed it to a point,” said Norris. “I mean, I was so nervous that that almost overwrote the enjoyment. Enjoyment comes from completing a lap that I’m happy with and seeing how happy the whole team was. That’s what makes me happy – seeing how hard everyone’s worked and seeing it all coming together.
“I did three runs and used three sets of softs in Q1. Our aim was just to try to get into Q2 and that went pretty well. I then did my Q2 lap and got into Q3 so finished P8 in Q3. For now, I’m happy but I’ve got a long journey ahead of me.”
In the other side of the garage, the mood was less positive although the disappointment of Carlos Sainz’s 18th place grid slot was lessened by the fact that it was not the fault of the team or the driver that he ended up there, more that he was an unfortunate victim of circumstance.
“Today I’ve been happy with the balance of the car, happy with my first run,” said Sainz. “On my first attempt I did a very strong lap, even if we had an engine issue and then we were improving, good enough for the top ten, top eight, and suddenly I found Robert (Kubica) in the last sector with a puncture. Nothing that he could have done differently, it was just the wrong moment at the wrong time.
“We met each other at turn 11 and I had to back off and lose a few tenths.”
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