Norris ‘just not good enough’ in qualifying

Grand Prix Emilia-Romagna

Imola Date: May 18 Start time for the race: Sunday at 14:00 BST

Lando Norris said he was “just not good enough” after qualifying fourth for the Grand Prix Emilia-Romagna with his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri on pole.

On an Imola track where overtaking is infamously difficult, Norris was 0. 292 seconds slower than Piastri.

After the first six races of the season, Briton Norris is 16 points adrift in the championship.

In my final lap of “quali,” Norris declared, “Never good enough.” “Everyone moves more quickly, and I always move more slowly.”

Norris’ depressing assessment of his own performance was consistent with his difficulties in qualifying for this year.

In 2024, the Briton was only defeated four times by his team-mate, who had previously dominated Piastri.

Piastri has turned the tables when combined with what team principal Andrea Stella refers to as a “relatively numb” front axle, which is not providing Norris with the “cues” he needs to drive at the limit.

His third pole in seven races was his, a total that was equal to Norris’, which was Max Verstappen’s total in Imola. Norris has won just one of the six grand prix thus far, compared to Pirassic.

Norris remarked, “I’m not going to just put the car on the brakes.” Not me, that’s. The entire weekend, I felt good. In both Q1 and Q2, I felt well. There was some melancholy there.

However, it just doesn’t go when I attempt to do lap time. Evidently, a lot has changed since last year.

Qualifying has been my biggest strength throughout my entire career. It’s just not coming my way this year.

However, Stella pointed out that Piastri finished third in the previous race in Miami before winning.

Our car, which is a very competitive car, is not the easiest to drive in qualifying conditions when you have to go for the last millisecond, according to Stella, who has been speaking since the start of the season.

“Imola, and there is now a focus on Lando’s P4, but let’s go one race back and ask the winner of the Miami race.

Oscar was actually Oscar, but I don’t think we talked much about his race winning status.

Norris said he needed to rely on strategy to find a way to win the race because it would be “tough” for him.

The Spaniard’s performance was his team’s best performance so far in what has been a difficult year, and it is the result of a significant improvement that has, at least partially, been influenced by their new managing technical partner, Adrian Newey, the design legend who came in March.

Lance Stroll, Alonso’s teammate, placed eighth in the standings.

Alonso said, “To be with both cars in Q3 really lifts a little bit of pressure from the shoulders of everyone in the team.”

You never know until you reach qualifying, according to the package we introduced yesterday, which had some positive results.

We must maintain the foot on the ground, and perhaps the track characteristics, which aid the Aston, so we must watch Monaco and Barcelona closely during the upcoming races. But so far, we’re pleased with the improvement.

The 43-year-old, however, emphasized that while being “happy to be fifth,” his or the team’s goals were far away.

Alonso stated, “I want to win the race when I’m in Australia (at the start of the season) next year.

“It’s going to be a tactical race,” he declared. It’s challenging to overtake in Imola, as always. Everyone is able to make fewer stops, which would prevent overtaking.

Let’s see the pace, and I anticipate a good start and good strategy. I’m prepared to lose a few positions, at least not too many, because I don’t believe it to be as good as P5.

Piastri praised his will to keep the lead at all times.

He said, “As long as I can get a good start, then I’m confident,” It’s challenging to overtake on the track. Our pace was quick. Yesterday’s long-run pace appeared very encouraging. So, yes, as long as I can start well and do a good first lap, that would be good.

Verstappen said: “I’ll just try to do a good start and see where I’m at with the pace because yesterday wasn’t particularly good in the long run also. He claimed his car was better balanced than it was on Friday.