Norris says P6 Is “realistic” for McLaren as team falls short of practice promise in Austrian GP qualifying
McLaren’s strong practice form did not fully translate into qualifying pace at the Austrian Grand Prix, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri reaching Q3 comfortably but ultimately lacking the speed to challenge the front‑running teams.
Norris secured sixth on the grid, narrowly ahead of Piastri by just 0.009s, as both drivers extracted the maximum from the MCL40 but found themselves a step behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull when it mattered.
Norris’ session began with a minor setback after he picked up damage in Q1, but McLaren was able to repair the issue swiftly, ensuring his subsequent runs were unaffected. From that point on, both drivers progressed smoothly into the top‑ten shootout — yet once there, the pace that had looked promising in practice faded.
“Overall, it’s been a good day, and P6 is a result we aren't too far away with,” Norris said after qualifying. “It’s easy to look at the practice times and hope for more, but we know the cars ahead are strong as we’ve seen throughout the season. Realistically, this is probably where we currently are in the pack.”
McLaren had shown flashes of competitiveness earlier in the weekend, but Norris emphasised that the team must remain grounded about its true position relative to the frontrunners.
“We have our strengths in the package that we’ll look to exploit, and we're close enough to be in the fight tomorrow,” he added.
Sunday’s race is expected to be run in extreme heat — a factor that played a major role in tyre degradation at the previous round in Barcelona. Norris believes the conditions will create opportunities for teams that manage their tyres and strategy with precision.
“The race is going to be incredibly hot, and tyre degradation will be a major factor, much like it was in Barcelona,” he said. “A lot can happen with strategy and pit stops, but if we can manage the race well and take advantage of any opportunities, we’ll be in condition to secure a good result.”
