Lando Norris is pinning his hopes for a first ever F1 World Championship title on what he believes will be a "bad night's sleep" as the McLaren driver prepares to take on Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen in the penultimate round of the season, the Qatar Grand Prix.
Norris is starting from second on the grid behind pole-sitter Piastri, with the Australian looking to repeat his qualifying performance from Saturday when he dominated the Sprint race to claim a stunning pole. Norris will be racing under a 25-lap tyre limit due to tyre concerns, which means there will inevitably be two pit stops.
If Norris finishes ahead of Verstappen and outscores Piastri by at least four points, he will become World Champion with a race to spare, making this Sunday's event crucial for his title bid. Norris is hoping that a poor night's sleep will help him perform better than he did in qualifying when he was thwarted by wind changes and understeer.
Norris admitted that starting from the dirty side of the grid - where Piastri and Verstappen are on pole and third respectively - could hinder his chances. His McLaren teammate, Piastri, dominated qualifying to claim the pole but Norris is optimistic about his chances after finishing second in Saturday's Sprint when he was able to keep pace with the Red Bull driver.
Norris' focus now shifts from trying to overtake Piastri for pole on Saturday to winning the race and defending his position at the top of the championship. He believes that the start can be crucial, saying: "The start can be quite important... you never know what happens in a race."
Verstappen is also looking to bounce back after a disappointing qualifying performance when he was thwarted by Norris in Q3. The Red Bull driver has won seven of the last eight races this season and believes that he needs a bit of luck to win the race.
Norris is starting from second on the grid behind pole-sitter Piastri, with the Australian looking to repeat his qualifying performance from Saturday when he dominated the Sprint race to claim a stunning pole. Norris will be racing under a 25-lap tyre limit due to tyre concerns, which means there will inevitably be two pit stops.
If Norris finishes ahead of Verstappen and outscores Piastri by at least four points, he will become World Champion with a race to spare, making this Sunday's event crucial for his title bid. Norris is hoping that a poor night's sleep will help him perform better than he did in qualifying when he was thwarted by wind changes and understeer.
Norris admitted that starting from the dirty side of the grid - where Piastri and Verstappen are on pole and third respectively - could hinder his chances. His McLaren teammate, Piastri, dominated qualifying to claim the pole but Norris is optimistic about his chances after finishing second in Saturday's Sprint when he was able to keep pace with the Red Bull driver.
Norris' focus now shifts from trying to overtake Piastri for pole on Saturday to winning the race and defending his position at the top of the championship. He believes that the start can be crucial, saying: "The start can be quite important... you never know what happens in a race."
Verstappen is also looking to bounce back after a disappointing qualifying performance when he was thwarted by Norris in Q3. The Red Bull driver has won seven of the last eight races this season and believes that he needs a bit of luck to win the race.
and if he can stay ahead of verstappen, which imo he can, he'll def be champ 
! piastri is super fast but i still think Norris has the skills to take him down 
. norris' focus on getting a good start is key 
, we all know what happens when u get caught out in qualifying 
. can u imagine if he gets that first place? 
. It's gonna be a tough one, but I'm predicting Norris pulls off an upset 
I gotta say, Lando's strategy is kinda cool 
. With the tyre limit and 2 pit stops, it's all about minimizing damage 
. Norris' stats show he's been doing great in Sprint races, so if he can replicate that performance, he's got a good shot 
. But, Verstappen's still the favorite 
... Max has won 7 out of 10 races this season, and his consistency is scary 
. Norris needs to be on point for at least 20+ points in today's race to take the title, and even that might not be enough... 
I'm not buying it... sources on that claim, mate? Sounds like just an excuse to me. If he really believed that, shouldn't he be getting some quality Z's now instead of worrying about Sunday's race? 
. Norris needs to stay focused, trust his instincts, and hope that the wind changes in his favor 
. A poor night's sleep might just be what he needs to clear his head and come out swinging 
. Can he pull off a championship win? Time will tell...
The McLaren driver gotta bring his A-game if he wants to take down Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen 
Norris is right though, the start can make or break a race, I've seen it happen before where a single move can change everything 
but still, he's got the momentum and experience on his side. This is gonna be one epic battle for the ages! 
. I mean, think about it, if Piastri and Verstappen both have decent starts, Norris will be in a tough spot right off the bat. It's like the whole championship is being rigged against him 
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And now Norris is saying the start can be crucial? Um, no kidding, mate. It's a race, not a stroll in the park 
. Verstappen needs luck to win, huh? Well, I think he's due for some good fortune after all those recent wins 
. The wind changes in qualifying were wild! And yeah, getting that bad night's sleep might be just what he needs to get his head right 
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. Norris needs a miracle for this one 
, if he can get past Oscar Piastri & Max Verstappen it's all over 
! Starting from second is tough, especially with a 25-lap tyre limit, but I think he's got a good chance if he can manage his tyres well. That poor night's sleep might actually be a blessing in disguise - sometimes a clear mind can make all the difference 
. And who knows, maybe the wind changes will work in his favour this time around 
. He just needs to stay focused and drive smart, like he did in that Sprint race on Saturday. Fingers crossed for him! 
. Either way, I'm rooting for him - not because I think it'll work, but because who needs sanity in F1 when you've got a title to win 