Lando Norris gives X-rated verdict on his Saudi Arabian GP qualifying error
The championship leader will start 10th at best after crashing into a wall during Q3.
Lando Norris labelled himself a “f*****g idiot” and said he had let himself down after crashing out of qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The British driver looked set to duel it out for pole under the lights in Jeddah but once again came unstuck as Max Verstappen delivered another scintillating qualifying lap to claim pole.
Championship leader Norris made his expletive assessment of the crash on the team radio after hitting the kerbs at turns four and five and crashing into the wall during his first run in Q3.
Norris said he stood by that comment and acknowledged his error had made life difficult for Sunday’s race, where he will start 10th at best.
“Makes sense, I agree with it,” Norris said when asked about his “f*****g idiot” message.
“Should be fighting for pole. On first lap in Q3 I shouldn’t be taking any silly risks like I seem to have done.
“I shunted so I’m not going to be proud, I’m not going to be happy. I have let myself down and let the team down.
“The car was going strong so disappointed. It has made my life and everyone’s in the team much harder because everyone has a big job to try and fix everything.”
Norris has admitted not feeling “comfortable” with his McLaren in the build-up to this race and said after qualifying sixth last weekend in Bahrain that he was “clueless” how to get the best out of his car.
He leads team-mate Oscar Piastri by three points in the championship standings after the Australian’s victory in Bahrain last weekend, with a title tussle between the pair gathering momentum.
Their McLaren had again looked the class of the field during practice in Jeddah and Norris appeared set to duel it out for pole.
But his qualifying confidence is likely to have taken a further hit after another missed opportunity.
“It is the way it is, I agree with what I said but still look forward to tomorrow,” Norris added.
“We will look on the bright side and hopefully we can have a good race. But it is not easy to overtake around here.”
Verstappen’s future has dominated the pre-race talk, with a tough weekend in Bahrain sparking speculation that he may want to find an exit from Red Bull.
The Dutchman had not looked a match for the McLarens during practice but, as he did in Japan a fortnight ago, produced a brilliant qualifying display.
Piastri had surged to the top of the charts on his final run but Verstappen was faultless with his lap at the death to take it by just 0.010 seconds.
“At the end of the day you need a clean lap and to stay on the limit. It is a tricky track to get everything right and in Q3 you risk everything,” Verstappen said.
“The car took a step up today over practice. It gives us a chance to fight. I’ll give it my all.”
Mercedes’ George Russell will start third ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton struggled again for Ferrari and qualified seventh, over nine tenths off the pace.