Austrian GP: McLaren driver Lando Norris ‘reassured’ after ‘outdated me’ returns in qualifying at Purple Bull Ring | F1 Information

Lando Norris says he’s “reassured” after the “outdated me” returned in qualifying on the Austrian Grand Prix the place he took a dominant pole place.

After a sequence of disappointing qualifying outcomes, Norris beat Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri to pole place by over half a second on one among F1’s shortest tracks – the largest margin of the season to this point.

An ecstatic Norris mentioned on the radio after his third pole of the season: “Good to see the outdated me again once in a while, huh!”

Norris retired final day trip in Canada after working into the again of Piastri however has the proper alternative to make inroads into his 22-point deficit within the Drivers’ Championship.

“The sensation I had right this moment was the sensation I’ve missed for fairly a very long time,” he advised Sky Sports activities F1.

“The feeing I had behind the wheel, with the automotive, the understanding of the place the grip is and tips on how to exploit it.

“That confirmed in efficiency and in lap time, which is an excellent mixture to have. That whenever you really feel like ‘yeah, I can go faster right here and I can do this’ and also you exit and do it, that is the very best feeling a driver can ask for actually.”

McLaren have introduced a revised ground to Austria which seems to be suiting Norris, who has been open about not having fun with this 12 months’s automotive as a lot as final season’s.

He continued: “The crew have been working very laborious. I’ve been working rather a lot within the simulator, with my crew with my engineers, with many individuals to attempt to perceive these items and we expect it’s in the fitting path.

“So come to this weekend and a minimum of transfer in the fitting path could be very constructive and really reassuring for myself most of all, however in all probability for us as a crew as nicely, so because of them.”

Stella ‘proud’ of Norris efficiency

Coming into Austria, Norris had the worst bounce in tempo from Q2 to Q3. He gained a mean of simply 0.249s this 12 months in comparison with Piastri, Max Verstappen and George Russell who’ve progressed by over 4 tenths and Charles Leclerc by almost three tenths.

Norris visibly overdrove in qualifying for the Bahrain, Spanish and Canadian Grand Prix however put all the pieces collectively on Saturday in Austria, which made crew principal Andrea Stella “actually proud”.

“Even in Canada, after reviewing the weekend with Lando and his engineers, we all the time mentioned the pace was there,” mentioned Stella.

“When he had the little contact with the wall in qualifying, he was on observe for a pole place. And within the race, he was one of many quickest, if not the quickest automotive, within the race. The pace was all the time there. We wanted to shine the execution. We made little changes right here and there.

“Not solely did he rating a pole place, but it surely’s a dominant pole place, a fairly exceptional lap time. It is a bit of a disgrace that we could not see Oscar contending the pole place due to the yellow flag that prevented him from having a remaining try.”

McLaren did not qualify on the entrance row and didn’t have a driver on the rostrum for the primary time of the season in Canada.

Stella credited the way in which the crew bounced again from their worst weekend in 2025, which ended with Norris and Piastri colliding.

“We’ve got a really robust level at McLaren that we’re very ready from a cultural, attitudinal viewpoint, to make use of each alternative to develop into stronger and much more united,” he mentioned.

“This was the tone, the content material of the conversations. I believe this has been realised, you possibly can see from what our drivers mentioned.

“Let me reward the work of everybody at McLaren for the upgrades. This has made the automotive sooner. We’re very inspired by the info that we noticed. Plenty of positives to remove, and we have to capitalise within the race.”

Piastri: I am not planning on ending third

Piastri would seemingly have been on the entrance row had he been capable of full his final Q3 run. The Austrian and Max Verstappen each needed to abort their remaining efforts attributable to Pierre Gasly inflicting yellow flags for a spin.

Ought to Piastri get previous Leclerc early on, he’ll set about trying to battle Norris for the win on a observe which affords up loads of alternatives to overhaul.

“I believe our tempo this weekend has regarded very robust. I believe the Ferrari tempo regarded good as nicely, which was a little bit of a shock, however I believe we nonetheless bought some alternatives,” he mentioned.

“I am not planning on ending third, that is for positive.”

McLaren’s race tempo in follow has solely been matched by Verstappen this weekend, however the Purple Bull driver is beginning down in seventh, so will unlikely be a risk.

Norris mentioned: I am beginning in the very best place. We have been good because the first laps I did in FP2. We have been aggressive, and I have been feeling assured and comfy within the automotive.

“We have had some upgrades on the automotive this weekend, which is our first correct set of upgrades for the entire season.

“So, we have waited a very good period of time to use them, and from what I see right this moment, it appears to be like prefer it’s undoubtedly moved us in the fitting path – particularly on a circuit the place there’s solely eight corners actually.

“I am assured we will nonetheless have a very good race, but it surely’s an extended one and loads of issues can occur.”

Sky Sports activities F1’s Austrian GP schedule

Sunday June 29
7.25am: F3 Characteristic Race
8.55am: F2 Characteristic Race
10.40am: Porsche Supercup
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP build-up*
2pm: THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP response*
5pm: Ted’s Pocket book

*additionally on Sky Sports activities Major Occasion

Subsequent up for the 2025 Components 1 season is a return to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix, which is reside on Sky Sports activities F1 this weekend. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime.