The Japanese Grand Prix qualifiers ended with some interesting results. For the first time this season, McLaren has been in the top 3 with Lando Norris proving himself quite well. However, the Brit doesn’t seem that happy. And that may be because of his record. While having a record naturally sounds like a good thing, trust us, Norris would like to get rid of it really soon.

In case you are unaware, Lando Norris currently holds the record for the most podium finishes without a race win. This must be quite frustrating for the driver as being so close to success, but never actually achieving it might be frustrating. After winning the P3 grid slot at Suzuka, Lando Norris again has a chance to win the race, but will things favor him this time?

Lando Norris’s mindset after the 2024 Japan Qualifiers

In the post-qualifier press conference held by the FIA, the top 3 lap timers were interviewed about their experience on the Suzuka track. An interviewer asked Max Verstappen a question. “You said yesterday that the competition looked closer here, and that was certainly the case over one lap. Are you expecting it to be this close in the race?”

The Red Bull driver acknowledged that the competition appeared tighter in qualifying, but expressed concern about his long-run pace compared to Ferrari. He noted that while Ferrari may not have been as quick over one lap, they looked strong in long runs.

When the question was directed towards McLaren, Norris said, “Also quite decent. So, yeah, I’m just not very happy with myself, you know, with how my long run was. So then, actually, of course, everyone else looks a bit better.”

Despite his performance in the qualifier, Norris seems focused on the race. He feels everyone will perform better in the race, but the fact that he has still not attained a win might be why even coming 3rd has not cheered up the driver.

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Lando Norris asked how he plans to fight Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at Suzuka

Lando Norris expressed how he is happy that they are closer to Red Bull in Japan compared to other races. He felt the team had made progress compared to last year, being just two-tenths off pole position. Despite improvements, he acknowledged the challenge posed by the leading team, Red Bull.

But when asked, “What can you do about the two guys sat next to you?” the 24-year-old said, “I don’t know. There’s not a lot to do. You know, first lap, try and get a good start. Obviously last year I was side by side with Max into Turn 1. So hopefully trying to redo that. But it’s tricky.”

“They’re quick. They complained about their race pace, but I don’t think they’ve had a bad race in the last, four or five years, so I think they’re going to be good tomorrow.”

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Do you think Lando Norris will get his first race win in Japan, where McLaren is known to be dominant? Is a P3 start good enough for the Papaya driver to overtake Max Verstappen?