Norris regrets 'too many mistakes' after frustrating qualifying

However, everything had started well for the Briton on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit. Author of the best time in Q1 and second in Q2, Norris showed a promising pace at the wheel of his McLaren MCL39. But Q3 turned into a disappointment: a wide run in the final chicane on his first flying lap put him on the defensive, and his second effort ended with a time of 1m11.625s, not enough to compete with the best.

Meanwhile, his direct competitors, George Russell and Oscar piastri, were able to improve their laps at the end of the session. Russell took pole position, while Piastri completed the top three. Norris, meanwhile, will have to contend with seventh place on the grid.

Another notable strategic choice: McLaren opted for soft C6 tires in Q3, unlike Russell and Max Verstappen, who bet on mediums (C5). A bet that Norris analyzes after the fact: " It's hard to know how much better the medium tire performed, especially in terms of grip. The medium might be a little better, but it was a risky bet. »

« It was risky, and I guess each team has their own opinion on what they consider best. He continues. " We clearly didn't think it would be better. But we did what we did, and I just couldn't pull out all the stops when I needed to. »

Asked what would have been possible without these mistakes, Norris admits: " Good enough for a top three, probably not good enough for pole position. »

Ahead of the race, the McLaren driver remains cautious. He is 10 points behind his teammate Oscar Piastri in the championship, and will have to contend with the presence of Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton et Fernando Alonso between them on the grid. I think we're maybe a little bit faster than some of the cars in front, but not all of them. A top five is probably a good start. " concludes Norris.

The Canadian Grand Prix starts at 20:00 p.m.

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