British driver Lando Norris confirmed his efforts to help the McLaren team win the World Manufacturers’ Championship title, after achieving the first starting position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be held tomorrow, Sunday, at the Yas Marina Circuit, which is the final round of the World Championship for Racing. Formula 1, after Norris succeeded today, Saturday, in recording the fastest lap in the qualifying trials for the race.
Norris recorded the fastest time of 1 minute, 22 seconds and 595 milliseconds, 209 milliseconds ahead of his Australian teammate Oscar Piastri, who merely recorded the second fastest time, while Spanish Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz came 229 milliseconds behind the leader. Norris.
The three qualifying sessions reflected the determination enjoyed by the McLaren drivers, the British Norris and the Australian Piastri, in clinching the constructors’ championship title in the final round, especially since the British team was 21 points ahead of its competitor, Ferrari.
The qualifying trials carried heavy surprises, after the world champion of the current season and holder of the title of the past four editions of the Yas Marina Circuit, Dutchman Max Verstappen, riding his Red Bull car, was content with fifth place, 350 fractions of a second behind Norris, the “leader.”
Heptathlon world champion Lewis Hamilton, winner of the Yas Marina Circuit on five occasions, also disappointed his large fans at Yas Marina, after he was satisfied in his last appearance with the Mercedes team in 18th place, after circling the circuit in a time of 1 minute, 23 seconds, and 887 seconds. A fraction of a second.
Norris expressed his happiness in recording the fastest time, and said in press statements: “Things did not go as desired during the first periods of qualifying trials in which I suffered from a lack of grip, before the team succeeded in making the required adjustments to the control parameters and giving the car greater grip. We succeeded in translating it in the correct manner, especially in the third and decisive period.”
He added: “I must translate this momentum into helping my team win the World Manufacturers’ Championship title, especially since I and my colleague Piastri will start from first and second place as we strive to achieve a double victory in the final race of the season.”
. .
