McLaren’s Norris Fires Back at Constant Comparisons as He Outpaces Verstappen in Brazilian Sprint Qualifying
In a stunning turn of events at the São Paulo Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris has finally had enough. The British sensation, who out-qualified reigning champion Max Verstappen for the Sprint race, didn’t mince words when confronted about his rival.
“I don’t care. I hate these questions so much,” Norris snapped when asked about Verstappen starting behind him. “I’m just gonna race. I don’t care about where he qualifies. For me, it’s just a focus on my own job. It’s the same question every time, but it doesn’t matter.”
Dominating Sprint Qualifying
Norris was the man to beat during Sprint Qualifying at Interlagos. Setting an ominous pace on Medium tires, he topped the timesheets in the first two sessions. However, the final SQ3 session saw a dramatic twist. While Norris initially led with his first lap on Softs, teammate Oscar Piastri stunned everyone by clocking a 1:08.899 on his second attempt, seizing pole position.
Unable to improve his time due to multiple mistakes on his last run, Norris aborted his final lap and settled for second place. “I think a big improvement compared to where we were earlier today,” Norris reflected. “We were struggling a lot. A little bit surprised that we were so quick today, but a pleasant one of course. A good lap. I made so many mistakes on my final lap and just boxed. But yeah, good job as a team.”
Eyes on the Prize, Not the Rivalry
Despite missing out on pole, Norris will start two places ahead of Verstappen, who holds a 47-point lead over him in the championship standings. But Norris is adamant that his focus remains solely on his own performance, not on outdoing the Dutchman.
“I’m just gonna race,” he reiterated. “I don’t care about where he qualifies. For me, it’s just a focus on my own job.”
The constant barrage of questions comparing him to Verstappen has clearly tested Norris’s patience. With the media frequently highlighting their on-track battles, Norris made it clear he’s tired of the narrative overshadowing his own achievements.
Looking Ahead to the Sprint
As for the upcoming Sprint race, Norris is cautiously optimistic. While McLaren’s one-lap pace has been impressive, he knows that doesn’t guarantee success in race conditions.
“Tomorrow’s a completely different day,” he cautioned. “We definitely made some good steps forward. So good enough and happy with today, but we’ll see in the Sprint.”
Conclusion
Lando Norris is carving his own path in Formula 1, determined to step out of the shadows and make his mark without the constant comparisons to Verstappen. As the tension builds heading into the Sprint race, all eyes will be on whether Norris can convert his front-row start into a victory—and perhaps silence the endless questions about his rival once and for all.
