P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Norris: Hard to beat Verstappen unless Piastri emulates Senna/Prost in Japan F1 race
In qualifying, the Briton was beaten to the front row of the grid by his rookie teammate Piastri, who was only 0.035s faster. However, Verstappen had a much bigger advantage, securing pole position with a lead of over half a second. Norris acknowledged that McLaren would attempt to challenge Verstappen, but jokingly suggested that the team wouldn’t have many options unless Piastri resorted to questionable tactics. Norris referenced Senna’s refusal to yield during the 1990 clash with Prost, which ultimately helped Senna secure the world title. He stated that if Piastri could emulate that move, it would be great for him. Piastri added that McLaren would aim to provide a similar challenge at the start as they did at the British Grand Prix, where Norris briefly took the lead. However, he acknowledged that it may be more difficult this time. Norris also assessed Mercedes as a potential challenger due to their strong performances in races compared to qualifying, but mentioned that McLaren had been strong during practice simulations. He anticipated a race with high degradation and numerous strategic options, with the possibility of the undercut being powerful.
Source: motorsport
