Norris and McLaren remain upbeat for team title

Lando Norris and McLaren remained optimistic about clinching the constructors' title on Saturday after he qualified third for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix, behind George Russell and Max Verstappen. 

Although he missed out on a front-row start, Norris said he expected a tough race but remained confident of a good chance to win, as McLaren aims to beat Ferrari by at least 13 points to secure their first constructors’ title since 1998. 

“It’s not the position we were hoping for, but it was the maximum we could do for sure,” said Norris. “My lap was pretty good, but it wasn’t quick enough compared to the others. I’m happy with my lap and that I got everything out of it, but not happy with the result.”

Earlier on Saturday, Norris had gifted victory in the sprint race to McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri with a late positional swap that ensured a 1-2 finish for the team. 

“Everyone saw how close it was between all of us for the whole of qualifying,” he added. “There’s not a lot in it, which gives us hope that we can still go forward. There are some very quick cars behind us at the same time. We will look forward to it, and I think we showed a good race today."

“I did have the benefit of being out front in clean air, which is a beautiful thing, but I expect a tougher race. I’m excited, but I think we have a great chance. We may not be as quick as Mercedes, and Red Bull showed how much they can improve, so there’s plenty of opportunity for everyone.”

Teammate Oscar Piastri said: “Not what we wanted, but while we are disappointed with third and fourth, we are still ahead of Ferrari, and that’s good for us.”

With two Grands Prix remaining, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, McLaren leads Ferrari by 30 points, 623 to 593, leaving Ferrari with a daunting challenge to close the gap.

“I felt like I did a good job,” said Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who qualified fifth. “Both of my laps were on the limit, but it wasn’t enough. But it is what it is—we have to maximize our points here, and it’s difficult for us now. But there is everything to play for on Sunday, and that’s when the points are scored. We were quite strong in the sprint, so that’s a positive, but starting behind them is a negative. So, we focus on ourselves and see if it’s enough.”

Red Bull’s newly-crowned quadruple champion, Verstappen, originally took pole ahead of Mercedes’ Russell, but was relegated one place behind the British driver by stewards for blocking him during qualifying.