Norris hails title-chasing McLaren's 'incredible story'

Lando Norris hailed McLaren's "incredible story" aft taking rod position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and putting the squad connected the verge of their first constructors' title for 26 years.

McLaren lead Ferrari by 21 points heading into the last title of the play and Norris headed team-mate Oscar Piastri successful a front-row lockout successful qualifying astatine Yas Marina.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz qualified third, but his team-mate Charles Leclerc will commencement 19th aft a difficult session.

There are a maximum of 44 points disposable successful Sunday's race, which starts astatine 13:00 GMT.

Norris, successful 2nd place, is 8 points up of Leclerc successful the drivers' championship.

Norris, who has been pinch McLaren since he made his debut successful F1 successful 2019, paid tribute to the occupation done by McLaren Racing main executive serviceman Zak Brown and squad main Andrea Stella to lead the squad to their existent position.

Norris said: "People person travel and gone and Andrea has done an unthinkable job. To person been portion of this unthinkable communicative not agelong aft Zak joined and started turning things around, and made it a happier spot to be, I person been connected the travel pinch Zak. It has been a agelong rise. Which has been bully fun."

McLaren started past play astatine the backmost of the section but their shape was transformed by a car upgrade mid-2023, which made them portion of the battalion of teams chasing runaway champions Red Bull past year.

Red Bull dominated the commencement of this play but different upgrade astatine the Miami title successful May made McLaren accordant front-runners and they person remained location ever since.

Norris joined McLaren aft a play successful which they had slumped to the backmost of the section done the 2010s, and Stella was made squad main astatine the extremity of 2022, erstwhile their guardant momentum of the erstwhile 3 seasons had stalled.

Norris said: "We made progress, thing clicked, aliases continued to grow, and it was difficult to break that obstruction of getting adjacent to Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, because for specified a agelong play they person dominated F1.

"Not only person we surgery that barrier, we person risen to the apical of it, and being the champion squad and hopefully going connected to win.

"I don't deliberation from the extracurricular group would springiness capable in installments because it is not an easy sport.

"To spell from wherever we were to out-do Ferrari, who person turned things astir a lot, and drawback Red Bull and Max (Verstappen), who 1 twelvemonth agone dominated each race, for that to flick astir truthful overmuch we tin only springiness a hats disconnected to the full team."

Norris said his top pleasance was that he had had the religion to enactment astatine McLaren because he believed they would go front-runners, erstwhile he had the opportunity to spell to different teams.

He did not opportunity it, but Red Bull person antecedently offered him a drive.

Norris said: "I've really loved it and enjoyed it and the truth I americium proudest and astir happy astir is the truth I americium still here, because I believed successful the squad for galore years.

"I had opportunities to not beryllium successful papaya and possibly spell connected and triumph races astatine an earlier shape of my profession but I believed and I wanted to do it pinch McLaren, the guys who gave maine my opportunity successful F1.

"We were hoping for adjacent year. We didn't deliberation it would beryllium imaginable this year, and the truth we are doing it this year, I americium proud to person been connected this travel and I will beryllium very happy erstwhile I dream it is vanished off."