Norris: Frustrating, disappointed... we're in the mix though

With six rounds remaining in the 2024 Formula One World Championship, the Title battle between rivals McLaren and Red Bull is hotting up. Namely, the fight between Championship leader Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, with the latter only 52 points behind the Dutchman.

Every session counts from now until the conclusion of the season in Abu Dhabi. Both teams have brought in significant upgrades for the United States Grand Prix weekend; McLaren have made changes to their suspension system, front wing and brake ducts while Red Bull have reprofiled their floor.

Despite the numerous changes to the MCL38, McLaren struggled during Sprint Qualifying on Friday. While Red Bull's Verstappen will start the Sprint race on pole position, Norris could only muster P4, with his teammate Oscar Piastri well down the order in 16th.

Both drivers admitted to making mistakes on their timed laps, which prevented them from challenging for the top spots on the grid in Austin.

In a report released by McLaren after Sprint Qualifying, Norris said he was frustrated to lose out to Verstappen in the session. He stated: "A frustrating Sprint Qualifying this afternoon. My lap could have been cleaner, so I’m disappointed.

"We’ll look into it tonight and find the areas to work on ahead of tomorrow’s sessions," added the British-Belgian driver.

Nevertheless, Norris expects to climb up the order during the Sprint and possibly challenge for the race lead: "We’re in the mix though and within touching distance of the leaders with only a couple of cars to overtake.

"So that’s my plan for the Sprint with the aim of scoring strong points in our push for the Championship," he concluded.

On the other hand, Piastri was downcast after a SQ1 exit, his first of 2024. The Australian had a faster time deleted for a track limits violation at Turn 19. He said: "It’s a shame to be out of Sprint Qualifying so early. Most of the lap was good, but I just made a few mistakes in the last sector. In the second to last corner, I tried to carry a bit too much speed and just exceeded the limits of the track.

"It’s a shame but one of the good things about Sprint weekends is that we have another chance to show our true pace tomorrow," he continued.

With just 19 laps, it will be difficult for Piastri to make his way up to P8 to score even a single point. However, with Titles at stake he is determined to push himself for the benefit of the team: It’s going to be tough to get back up into the points from where we are, but we’ll do what we can and try to secure some valuable points for the team."

The 2024 United States Grand Prix Sprint commences Saturday 19 October at 19:00 BST (13:00 local time).