Norris clear on performance: 'I hate those words'

Lando Norris came just short of finishing in the top three on Friday night. Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen proved to be a bit faster.

As a result, Norris will start from P4 tomorrow, but it could have been different. "I hate those words 'very close,' because that means you didn't do well enough," the driver stated. "I'm happy. We are in a much better position than last week. A good position to start from. Missing P3 is a bummer, but it was in the car."

The track was quite crowded during qualifying, with several drivers complaining about the situation. Norris also found the crowds annoying. "To be honest it wasn't a nice position to be in and something can happen so quickly. You don't know if they see you or not. Then what they get to hear."

Daniel Ricciardo drove just too slowly to overtake his teammate. The Australian will therefore start Saturday's sprint race from fifth position.