Qualifying at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP saw Lando Norris return to the front row, starting behind title rival Max Verstappen. His teammate Oscar Piastri lines up on the grid in P3. The British driver appeared to struggle for pace in Q1, finishing six tenths behind Piastri. However, Norris dialed in his performance for Q2 and Q3, securing P2.
If Norris finishes on the podium at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, he will secure his first Drivers’ Championship. The British driver spoke in the press conference about his qualifying performance.
Lando Norris “disappointed” with P2 at F1 Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying
Strong performances in Free Practice did not translate to pole position for Norris. The championship leader expressed disappointment from missing out on the top spot, despite feeling good in the car.
“Q1, Q2 not the smoothest. Q3 laps, I was pretty happy with, honestly. So yeah, I felt pretty good. I felt like I got a lot out of the car today and but I just wasn’t enough. I was disappointed because you just want to be on pole for the final race of the year. But we just didn’t have the pace today. So I felt like I got the maximum out of the car and I have to be happy with that.
“Of course, behind the one person that I kind of want to be ahead of. That’s the only reason for the disappointment. But otherwise, I was pretty happy with my laps and it was the maximum we could do.”
Norris and Piastri ran a different qualifying strategy to Verstappen at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP. Both McLarens used an extra set of soft tyres in Q2. Verstappen saved two fresh sets for Q3, securing pole position. When asked if the tyre strategy may have affected his qualifying performance at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, Norris responded, “No, it didn’t.”
Lando Norris on nerves heading into championship decider
The British driver had to opportunity to secure his championship in Qatar. Unfortunately, poor strategy decisions and a lack of pace meant the British driver finished off the podium. When asked about his nerves following qualifying at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, Norris responded, “I mean, it feels a bit different, but just because it’s the final race of the year, not because of anything else.
“And I felt pretty normal into Sunday [Qatar GP] last week. I didn’t really have the expectation that I was going to get the championship because I started P3 and just didn’t really expect it — Or P2.
“So no, I felt good then. I feel good now. I feel comfortable and ready to go — I feel like we’ve got a good plan for things. But like Max [Verstappen] said, you also just can’t plan for everything. So no, I feel good. I feel excited to get the final race done and then go on holiday.”
If Norris finishes on the podium tomorrow, he will be World Champion. Realistically, finishing where he qualified will guarantee Norris the biggest victory. For Verstappen to win, it would require Norris to drop to P4. When asked if he’d prefer the race to finish in the qualifying order of the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, Norris responded, “I mean, I would sign for that now, but life’s not that simple, sadly.
“I’m still going to go into tomorrow and we’re still going to go and plan for how we can win the race, whether it’s on pace, or strategy, or whatever it may be. That’s all going to be our plan tomorrow. And that’s all how I want to end the season, standing on top. So nothing changes from that side.“
Confidence in McLaren’s race pace
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri expressed confidence in the car’s race pace after a disappointing qualifying at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP. Norris explained that the team made quite a few adjustments to the car following Free Practice on Friday.
“I think we weren’t in the best position on Friday. I think we’ve improved on quite a few areas since then. In race pace, normally, we’re pretty strong. But like Oscar [Piastri] said, Max’s pace was also very strong.
“I think today when you look at it, we weren’t quite quick enough. But of course, we’ll hope we can turn some of that around tomorrow.“
When asked about the amount of risk he’s willing to take into Turn 1 during tomorrow’s race, Norris replied, “I mean, it’s not something you decide now, honestly.
“It’s something that you’ll see and something we decide before the start of the race and five meters before you break into turn one. So until then, I think everyone just wants to get the maximum out of it for themselves.”
Hunter or hunted?
With Norris reclaiming the championship lead from his teammate in Mexico City, he became the hunted driver. In 2024, Norris was the hunter. He spent the entire season chasing Verstappen, unable to catch him. In stark contrast, Norris overcame a 34-point deficit to Piastri in 2025. As the hunted, he remains 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 points ahead of Piastri.
When asked what position he found more comfortable following the qualifying at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, Norris responded, “I don’t mind either. I’ve been in both positions, I guess. I felt good in both. I performed in both. So I’m not too bothered to be the hunter or the hunted.
“I think normally to be hunted is fine, because you’re normally the one with the advantage in the first place. So that’s good.”
Norris on celebrating tomorrow’s wins amidst the losses
McLaren are in a tricky situation at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP. One of their drivers may win the World Drivers’ Championship, while the other will lose. When asked about how the team will handle any championship celebrations, Norris responded, “I think it’s not a conversation that needs to be had. And I think we both understand each other and are respectful enough of one another. I think we both understand that no one would do anything in a bad way or anything to make the other feel worse.
“I think we both respect what we do every single weekend, every quali, every race that we go out and race together. But that’s the same off the track. We’re two different guys, but we get along and that’s all we need.“
