‘Hopefully this is just the beginning’ – Norris pleased to move on from ‘tougher moments’ with Austria pole

Lando Norris expressed his satisfaction after an emphatic return to pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the McLaren driver bouncing back from a dramatic weekend in Canada and some “tough moments” in Qualifying sessions through 2025.

Norris is firmly in the mix for the world title this season, splitting team mate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship after 10 rounds, but he has come under the spotlight for making mistakes at crunch moments.

That includes several compromised Q3 performances, the most notable being a heavy crash in Saudi Arabia, while he ran into the back of Piastri’s car on race day last time out in Montreal, which eliminated the Briton from the race and cost him valuable points.

However, Norris appears to have put that latest disappointment firmly behind him during the break between races – dominating practice at the Red Bull Ring and then charging his way to a comfortable pole despite missing FP1.

Asked after Qualifying where that performance came from, having last been on pole in Monaco three races ago, Norris smiled: “It was a good lap, that’s for sure. I guess just little bit by little bit.

“I feel even like my Q3 run one was good, but I knew there were a few places where if I just got it right I could get still quite a bit more time – and I did exactly that. I did what I planned to do, and when I plan to do something and it goes right, it normally goes very, very well.

“I’m very happy, [it’s been] a good day, and it’s been a good weekend for me so far, so hopefully we can keep it up.”

Put to him that he was not showing a huge amount of emotion over the result, and instead appears to have adopted a “steely focus” this weekend, Norris replied: “I don’t know. I’m still very happy. It’s just that it’s a long season.

“I still savour this moment, especially because some of my tougher moments have been in Quali. To put in a lap like today, to have the performance throughout this weekend like I’ve had, is pleasing for myself.

“I’m excited. It’s a long race tomorrow. It’s more that it’s just a long season. I’m very happy with today, but I want to prove it to myself over and over again, and hopefully this is just the beginning of it.”

Norris will head into Sunday’s race 22 points behind Piastri, who lines up third, and 21 points ahead of Verstappen, who lines up seventh – his title rivals compromised by yellow flags in the decisive Q3 phase.