McLaren have appeared to be the strongest team after the first day in Brazil, with the duo harnessing the constantly evolving track conditions and minor upgrades to the car’s rear wing to produce rapid lap times.
Their front row lock-out puts them in the best position for tomorrow’s Sprint, but Norris seemed eager to keep expectations manageable after he qualified in P2.
READ MORE: Norris finding it ‘motivating’ to race Verstappen as he insists his approach to championship fight is ‘working’
“A little bit surprised that we were so quick today, but a pleasant one of course,” he said after the session. “A good lap, I made some mistakes on my final lap and just boxed. Good job as a team.”
Asked about whether this result bodes well for his championship hopes – with Verstappen starting from P4 – Norris stated: “I don’t care. I hate this question so much. I’m just going to race, I don’t care about where I qualify.
“For me, I just focus on my own job and that’s it. It’s the same question every time but it doesn’t matter. If [Verstappen’s] first, if he’s last, I’ll do the best I can. Tomorrow’s a completely different day so we’ll see. We definitely made some good steps forward.”
