Lando Norris shares what annoyed him after Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying

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McLaren star Lando Norris has regretted the mistakes he made in qualifying in Bahrain that have left him starting Saturday’s race in seventh place.

He’ll begin the first Grand Prix of the 2024 season alongside teammate Oscar Piastri who couldn’t hook up a perfect lap himself in Sakhir.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the session, the 24-year-old did praise the MCL38 which bodes well for the rest of the year.

Norris frustrated after Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying

The fight to be the second-best team on the grid behind Red Bull began in the Bahraini desert on Friday evening.

Ferrari drew first blood with Charles Leclerc lining up alongside Max Verstappen on the front row and Carlos Sainz starting directly behind them.

McLaren appear to have the fourth-fastest car over one lap right now but will be annoyed that Fernando Alonso managed to leapfrog both of their drivers with his only run in Q3.

Lando Norris’s performances in qualifying have been under the microscope and his display in Bahrain may only add further pressure to the Brit.

He’s sensationally quick on race day but too often makes errors when pushing the car to its limits and that means he’s trying to make up places during Grand Prix rather than challenging at the very front of the pack.

Norris’s one-lap mistakes continue

Talking about his performance on Friday evening, Norris said: “[I made] a mistake in turn one and turn four, so my sector one was probably three-tenths off what it should have been and if all I did was improve one-tenth I would have made up four positions.

“Mixed feelings because the car got better and better during qualifying, especially when it cooled down and the wind calmed down, the car came alive. The thing felt great, it was lovely to drive, I just didn’t do what I should have done.”

Norris will hope his McLaren feels just as good during the race in Bahrain as it did in qualifying.

He’s admitted making sacrifices in his personal life to improve his performance on the track.

Norris will believe he’s in the right place to earn that first Formula 1 win and rival Max Verstappen agrees.

However, he’s making his life more difficult by giving himself more cars to overtake.