JUST IN : Norris on rare engineer message before Austin pole: “A little kick never hurts”
Norris on rare engineer message before Austin pole: “A little kick never hurts”
Lando Norris has shed light on why his Formula 1 race engineer made an unusual intervention on the team radio before his pole lap for the United States Grand Prix. Norris secured his sixth pole of the 2024 season at the Circuit of the Americas, narrowly beating title contender Max Verstappen after the first of two planned runs in the Q3 session.
A late yellow flag caused by George Russell’s crashed Mercedes prevented others, including Verstappen and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, from completing their laps, allowing Norris to hold onto pole position.
Norris acknowledged the stroke of luck, admitting that he had delivered what he considered the best lap of his career during a weekend when McLaren’s performance wasn’t as strong as expected.
However, Norris revealed that he lacked confidence in the car heading into the decisive shootout. This led his race engineer, Will Joseph, to offer a rare message of encouragement, which was broadcast over the team radio. Joseph urged Norris to “trust the car” and reassured him that the lap time would come, while also giving him a technical reminder about his driving.
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