Lando Norris emerged from a challenging run of Saturdays to claim pole position for the 2025 F1 Austrian GP, delivering what he called his best Qualifying performance of the year. The McLaren driver overcame recent frustrations to produce a lap that combined precision, confidence, and consistency—qualities he has been working to regain in recent rounds. Crucially, Norris credited both the team’s new upgrade package and his own step forward in execution as key factors behind his standout performance.
Norris seeks consistency after Qualifying struggles
Norris recognised the significance of rebounding from a string of disappointing Qualifying sessions, and he stressed the importance of building momentum over the long season.
“I mean, it is very satisfying, but, again, it is about consistency. Everyone can be a hero in one weekend. It is progress. It is steps forward. I am very happy with today, but it is still a long journey. It is a long season. The job I needed to do today, I did. And it does not make up for the last few weekends or anything, but I did it today, and that is what mattered. So, yes, very satisfied and happy for putting it together when I needed to.”
This result came at a critical juncture in the season, where momentum and confidence play increasingly decisive roles. Norris’s ability to reset and refocus under pressure demonstrated his continued growth as a frontrunner.
McLaren upgrades help unlock speed
Alongside his own improvements, Norris pointed to the impact of McLaren’s first major upgrade package of the year, which debuted this weekend at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP.
“I think a good amount. I am starting in the best position. But we have been good since the first laps I did in FP2. We have been competitive, and I have been feeling confident and comfortable in the car.”
He emphasised that the new components gave him a stronger foundation throughout the weekend.
“We have had some upgrades on the car this weekend, which is our first proper set of upgrades for the whole season. So, we have waited a good amount of time to apply them, and from what I see today, it looks like it has definitely moved us in the right direction – especially on a circuit where there is only eight corners really. So, yes, I am confident we can still have a good race tomorrow, but it is a long one and plenty of things can happen.”
Therefore, Norris felt both the baseline performance and his ability to capitalise on it had aligned at just the right time.
“Easily my best Qualifying of the year”
Norris also spoke candidly about the quality of his laps, citing a noticeable increase in confidence throughout the 2025 F1 Austrian GP Qualifying—particularly in areas where he had struggled previously.
“I think it has been clear-ish from the outside, and I think the feelings have correlated to inside, in terms of the car has just felt very strong. It clearly is very strong here, and very quick. I think where we expect it to be a little bit weak, or not as strong as some of the others in the high speed, seems to have been our strength all weekend so far.”
He acknowledged that while some challenges remained, his ability to deliver on every lap marked a clear improvement.
“It is still trickier in some places, but on the whole, it was easily my best Qualifying of the year from a delivery point of view from every single lap I did. I still made a couple of mistakes here and there, but none that cost me a lap or anything, just maybe a tenth here or half a tenth there.”
He went further, drawing comparisons with his lap in Monaco, a circuit where he also performed strongly earlier in the season.
“So, I think on deliveries, consistency and of course putting it in when it counts in Q3 was easily the best lap I have done for this whole season, probably even better than Monaco, honestly. Maybe not as exciting a lap as Monaco, but definitely a better put together lap than I did there.”
“Small things” helped improve comfort and confidence
Norris credited subtle changes and upgrades for helping unlock that level of performance at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP
“Some of that is small things that have allowed me to get that out of the car from the changes within the car. Whether that is the upgrades or not, it is always very difficult to tell still, but it was definitely, like you said, the most confident and comfortable I have been in terms of getting lap time out of the car and understanding that.”
Ultimately, he highlighted that having the right feeling in the car made all the difference.
“I think it showed today that when I have those feelings, well, it is still not all there, but more there than before, I can have a day like today. So it shows that the feelings I have been requiring, the feelings that I have not been getting as easily, when they are more my way and more where I want them to be, I can put in better performances and have days like today.”
“So, I think that is reassuring for myself, which is a very nice feeling. But it is still about consistency. This is one weekend, I have got to do it for another, what, 12 or 13 or something.”
Norris credits team and self for step forward
When pressed to explain whether the breakthrough was mainly down to the car or his own execution, Norris gave a balanced assessment.
“I mean, it is a bit of both. Hard to put a percentage on it. But I said at the beginning of the weekend when we all sat down, like, I still expect more from myself at times. No matter what car I get given, I still expect to do a good job in whatever car that is, whether I struggle with some of the feelings or not.”
He added that elite competition demands peak feeling and performance, something he felt more aligned with this weekend.
“But, you know, when you are fighting against the best, you want everything to feel the best possible. This weekend, I feel like I have had a little bit more of that. It could also be a bit track-specific rather than just car-specific, because there have been some tracks this season I felt more comfortable than others. But it is a small element from the team, and it is also down to myself quite often.”
Accepting responsibility for mistakes in Canada
Reflecting on Canada, Norris acknowledged that he had the pace but failed to execute when it mattered.
“I was quick in Canada for the most part and made mistakes there and misjudged many things there, and did not put the laps together when I needed to. But the pace was there, and that was not through a lack of feeling. That was through not doing a good enough job for myself.”
Rather than assign blame, he explained that certain circumstances influence performance, and that he has taken accountability for both the highs and lows.
“So, I am never going to just blame the car, and I am never going to say I blame anything, but there are reasons for different things. What is most reassuring for me is when I have got some other feelings that I need, I do do a better job. That is the best news that comes out of some of these things.”
A platform to build on
Norris now turns his attention to Sunday’s race, where he will lead from pole at one of the shortest laps on the calendar. However, as he repeatedly reminded, one strong Saturday does not define a season. For Norris, the goal is no longer simply about performance peaks, but about sustained excellence. With McLaren’s upgrades working and his own rhythm returning, Austria could be the launchpad for a stronger second half of the year.
