The race weekend kicked off with high expectations, especially after McLaren introduced significant upgrades. Norris expressed his satisfaction, stating, “I feel very good. I’m very happy for the team.” His teammate, Oscar Piastri, also performed well, finishing third behind Kimi Antonelli, who qualified second—just two tenths behind Norris.

Mercedes drivers had a challenging session. George Russell noted how surprising it was that McLaren and Ferrari made such substantial gains. He remarked, “Pretty surprising how big a jump McLaren and Ferrari made. That’s pretty damn impressive.” Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton managed to qualify seventh despite showing faster times in earlier sessions.

Qualifying Results:

• Lando Norris: 1:27.869
• Kimi Antonelli: +0.222 seconds
• Oscar Piastri: +0.239 seconds
• Charles Leclerc: +0.370 seconds
• Max Verstappen: +0.592 seconds
• George Russell: +0.624 seconds
• Lewis Hamilton: +0.749 seconds
• Franco Colapinto: 8th
• Pierre Gasly: 10th

This qualifying format for 2026 saw six cars eliminated in SQ1 and SQ2, leaving only the fastest contenders to battle it out for pole. Notably absent from the time sheets was Lance Stroll, who did not set a time due to an early spin.

The implications of this qualifying session are profound. Observers are eager to see how McLaren’s upgrades will hold up during the race itself and whether Mercedes can bounce back from this setback. As Russell pointed out, “We knew they had probably closed the gap but all day they were quicker than us.” Will this be a turning point for McLaren in their pursuit of championship points?

Сообщение F1: Lando Norris Breaks Mercedes’ Qualifying Streak появились сначала на Latest News UK.