Lando Norris 'found something in car' as difference between McLaren drivers clear

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Chadwick believes that Lando Norris has 'found something in his car' as the McLaren driver was hailed after qualifying in pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix.Norris, who claimed eight points by winning the sprint race earlier on Saturday, followed that up by producing a fine performance in qualifying with a fastest lap time of 1.09.511.

He finished just ahead of Mercedes speedster Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari completed the top three. Oscar Piastri, Norris' McLaren teammate and closest World Championship title rival, qualified in fourth with Racing Bulls' Isaak Hadjar and Mercedes star George Russell fifth and sixth.

With Norris "flying" and reaching top form at the business end of the Formula 1 season - after winning the Mexico City GP last time out - Chadwick has praised the Brit for his recent up-turn. "He's flying," Chadwick told Sky Sports. "He's found something.

"It's hard to tell if it's Lando finding something or Oscar slipping away. For sure, he's found something in that car, he's able to be very methodical, very process orientated and at this stage of the championship, when the pressure is on, that's the exact focus."

Norris is now nine points ahead of Piastri in the race to become world champion ahead of the Brazilian GP. Praising Norris for performing "under pressure", Martin Brundle believes he has delivered in an important moment.

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"He was under pressure, having locked his brakes on the first run then put in a great lap," Brundle said. Fastest in all three sectors, fastest in the speed trap and he delivered under immense pressure. He looks on great form again, as he did in Mexico."

Norris, meanwhile, said after qualifying on pole that he has 'lessened weaknesses' in the last couple of weeks - something that has seen him overturn a 43-point gap between him and Piastri to lead with four races to go.

"I just feel like I'm doing a good job," Norris, 25, said. "I'm driving well. Before, earlier in the season, I would just have weaknesses, and I feel like I've, let's say, I've maybe still got some here and there, but I've lessened them.

"They're not like 0.1 secs now - it's two hundredths. So when I can put together the good parts and have those not-so-bad parts, things go very well."