Lando Norris admitted that McLaren is “far off the pace” in Malaysia after qualifying sixth for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit, according to official Formula 1 sources.
The British driver explained that neither he nor his teammate Oscar Piastri had previously raced on this circuit, which required gradual progress during free practice sessions before qualifying.
While Max Verstappen dominated the session for Red Bull, McLaren was outpaced by Ferrari and Mercedes, leaving Norris in sixth position. However, he will start fifth on the grid due to a penalty imposed on a competitor.
Despite a 0.6-second gap to Verstappen, Norris expressed satisfaction with his personal performance, considering he delivered a good final lap. He noted, however, that the car struggles, particularly in top speed, making the race difficult to predict.
Oscar Piastri, who qualified seventh, also acknowledged the challenges faced, notably a lack of grip on his final lap.