Norris 'confident' that he has 'the speed' to turn his qualifying woes around

08:20, 23 May

Updated: 09:00, 23 May

byOlly Darcy

McLaren driver Lando Norris is "confident" that he has "the speed" that will turn around his qualifying fortunes at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Last season, the Brit impressed on Saturdays, taking eight pole positions across the season. However, currently, a serious decline has occurred.

The 25-year-old has only been able to take a singular P1 out of the first seven races of the season, coming at the opening race of the campaign at the Australian Grand Prix.

Since Melbourne, Norris has struggled with his driving style during qualifying, resulting in disappointing lap times during Q3 that have put him on the back foot.

After leading the championship earlier in the season, Norris sits 13 points behind teammate Oscar Piastri

Norris 'knows pace is somewhere there'

The streets of Monte Carlo welcome the most important qualifying session of them all, with the lack of overtaking opportunities during Sunday's race.

"I mean, I'm confident I have the speed," Norris expressed when asked about whether he can change his qualifying fortunes to several media sources, including GPblog.

"But it's true that this year, I've not been able to put things together as well as what I have done in the past, for many, many years. It's always something I've been very at one with, and very, I wouldn't always say confident, but something I've always just been very, very strong in.

"I've just not done well enough this season. It's not like I'm doing a bad job, but when you're against the best in the world, not doing a perfect job is also the definition of probably doing a bad job," continued the McLaren driver.

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Lots of work has been put in by Norris and his team to bring him back to the front of the grid in qualifying, with it being paramount to success in the principality as the 25-year-old searches for a second win of the season.

"I'm focusing, and I'm working with my team, whether I'm back home or when I'm here at the track, on improving these things, because it's been my biggest letdown, so far, of my season," continued the Brit.

"My races on Sunday have been very strong. My racing, maybe not everyone, but my decision making… My Sundays, I don't even need to think about it, I'm very happy with that. My opportunity is on Saturday. I know what I need to focus on, but like I said before, and I've said the last few weeks, it still takes time. It takes work from both halves, both from me as a driver, the people I work with, and also as a team, providing me the equipment, the feelings that I need to perform at the level that I did last season.

"I think the level I performed at last season is a level that would have got me a lot more poles this year. So I've got it, I know that it's there somewhere, but unlocking it just takes work and time," Norris concluded.