Lando Norris qualified for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in a surprising third place, right behind title contenders Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
After qualifying directly behind the two title contenders, Lando Norris admits he’s undecided about whether to be aggressive or cautious at the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris finished third in Saturday’s grid-deciding session at Yas Marina Circuit, surpassing both Ferrari drivers, Sergio Perez of Red Bull and Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes, thanks to an excellent Q3 performance.
It means the McLaren driver will line up in front of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who will compete for the world championship on Sunday.
Feeling nervous for the race start
“I’m a little nervous,” Norris remarked, referring to the 58-lap race. “I kind of want to just stay where I am and just watch everything unfold over the first few laps, or even the whole race.
“I don’t want to really to get involved too much, because it can cause a lot of controversy.
“I don’t know whether to go for the move or not go for the move, but I’ll do my best, and if I have a chance I’ll go for it!”
P3 was a “nice surprise”
As for where his pace came from in qualifying, Norris said: “I dunno, really! It came already in Q3, run one. I made some improvements, but also a few mistakes, and then I just did clean up in the end.
“I went for pole, it didn’t quite work out – I was still a little bit off! No, it was a nice lap. To be in P3 was a bit of a surprise.”
Daniel Ricciardo qualified into Q3 as well, but he was the slowest of the bunch, finishing 10th, about a second behind Norris.
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