The top three finishers in the parc fermé were Oscar Piastri from McLaren in second place, Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing in pole position, and Lando Norris from McLaren in third place. This took place during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, on May 18, 2024.
Lando Norris from McLaren commented on Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s recovery after a challenging Friday, stating that those who expected them to struggle were not thinking clearly. Verstappen faced difficulties during practice sessions, expressing concerns about the balance of his RB20 and falling behind McLaren and Ferrari. Despite this, Verstappen managed to secure his eighth consecutive pole position, equaling a record.
Norris, who qualified in third, was less than a tenth of a second off Verstappen’s pole effort. During the post-qualifying press conference, Norris expressed mixed emotions and acknowledged the difficulty of overtaking at Imola. He reflected on his previous victory at the Miami Grand Prix and the small differences between competitors.
Regarding Red Bull’s struggles on Friday, Norris mentioned the importance of capitalizing on the mistakes and difficulties of others. He acknowledged that Max Verstappen had a challenging weekend, but believed it was foolish to doubt Red Bull’s ability to bounce back in qualifying. Norris hoped for Verstappen to perform well and expressed satisfaction with his own team’s performance.
However, Norris acknowledged that Imola presented different challenges compared to the Miami International Autodrome. The narrow circuit and limited DRS zone made overtaking difficult, especially considering the competitiveness of the field. Despite McLaren’s strong pace during practice sessions, Norris remained cautious about his chances in the Grand Prix. He recognized that overtaking would be almost impossible and emphasized the importance of putting pressure on Red Bull and maintaining a good performance throughout the race.
Norris praised his team’s performance and the consistency of the car throughout the weekend. However, he did not anticipate an easy race day and acknowledged the challenges of overtaking and strategy at Imola, which he believed were more difficult than in Miami.
