Lando Norris was satisfied with his pole-claiming performance during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, with the McLaren driver admitting that he enjoyed the pressure that came with having to rely on just one lap in Q3. However, team mate Oscar Piastri cut a frustrated figure after ending the session in P5.
Having appeared to be the driver to beat throughout the weekend’s practice sessions, Norris continued the theme by looking fast during the early stages of qualifying. However, when a crash for Carlos Sainz triggered the red flags in Q3, most of the pack then only had time for one flying lap when the session resumed.
READ MORE: Norris beats Verstappen to pole for Singapore GP after Sainz crashes out
Fortunately for Norris his sole effort of 1m 29.525s proved to be enough to slot into P1 on the grid, putting him two tenths clear of Max Verstappen in second. Reflecting on his lap after jumping out of the car, Norris admitted that it had not necessarily been smooth sailing.
“It was tough,” the Briton said. “Especially through qualifying I was finding it a little difficult to progress much and to get a lot of lap time, and more of the guys around seemed to get quicker and quicker so that put me under a bit more pressure, especially with just one lap at the end.
“But it was good enough for pole and I’m happy with that, especially here in Singapore. A good feeling, I felt good all weekend, I felt confident – maybe not so much in quali, but we got the job done.”
