‘What a shame’: McLaren’s Lando Norris heartbroken by brutal penalty

McLaren have turned around a horror day of practice with a solid performance in qualifying, but it could have been so much better.

A McLaren team member hears the news.

In his teammate battle with Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo has taken a win but only on a technicality after the British youngster took a track limits penalty which deleted his time.

Norris had a stunning final lap and would have been on the second row 0.043 of a second behind pole sitter Hamilton in third.

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While it would have been a cracking result for McLaren with Norris up on the second row to start the race, he will now start in seventh, a row behind Ricciardo who qualified sixth.

It was a big step forward for McLaren after a nightmare first day of practice with Ricciardo and Norris struggling massively.

But FP3 was a big change — at least for Norris — with the Brit finishing in second behind Verstappen.

Ricciardo was still well back in 13th, but was able to salvage some form for qualifying.

Martin Brundle felt for Norris after putting in a brilliant final lap.

“What a shame for Lando Norris, with track limits,” Brundle said. “That otherwise was a stunning lap.”

David Croft said it “might be a bit heartbreaking for Lando Norris but rules is rules”.

It does mean Ricciardo gets the W in the team qualifying stakes.

There was only that much in it.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Norris said it was tough to swallow.

“I’m pretty disappointed, pretty annoyed with myself,” he said. “It was a very good day until then. I think the team did an awesome job. The car really came alive in quali, we made a lot of improvements since Friday but that one lap I really don’t need to make a mistake on, I effed it all up.

“The thing that people don’t realise is that it’s the same for everyone, so at the end of the day, it’s my mistake and I’ve messed it all up. From the outside, it looks a lot easier to stay between the lines than what it is inside.”

Norris said he was happy with the team and that the team had improved since Bahrain.

Amazing F1 qualifying - so bummed for @LandoNorris losing that amazing lap. Going to be a great season.

— alex (@alex) April 17, 2021

Shame for Norris, that time would have put him 3rd on the grid #F1#ImolaGP

— Tim Hauraney (@timhauraney) April 17, 2021

Perez pips Max in first since Ricciardo

It’s the 30th different track that Hamilton has sat on pole as he broke yet another milestone.

He was well ahead of his teammate and 2020 pole sitter in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas, who was well back in eighth, nearly half a second behind Hamilton.

While it would be expected that a Red Bull would be in second, it was a shock with Sergio Perez taking second place, just ahead of teammate Max Verstappen.

It was the first time that Verstappen has been out qualified in the dry and without penalties by a teammate since Ricciardo.

Has Verstappen met his match in Perez?

Perez was happy with the result, and particularly the development the team has shown.

“The most important thing is that we’re showing progress,” he said. “I never expected to be here today from where we were yesterday.”

Social media was also behind the Mexican star.

What Perez did today is amazing. Talk about a feel-good F1 story. So happy to see him in that Red Bull.

— David Perel (@davidperel) April 17, 2021

So much to take away from that session. A L’Oreal lap from HAM - shows why he’s worth it. PER outstanding in 2nd outing. Great job from LEC. NOR on such a gr8 final lap 😱 but RIC will be happy to have edged it. GAS & team are so ready to cause an upset given half a chance. #F1

— Mark Gallagher (@_markgallagher) April 17, 2021

I cant predict tomorrow's race cos this track is a very difficult one,

Lewis is on pole
Norris has mad pace
Checo is on front row
Max is starting on Mediums so race strategy favours him and hamilton

Seems like a free for anybody tomorrow #ImolaGP

— Cinderella Man (@Osi_Suave) April 17, 2021

(1/2) Super effort by @SChecoPerez to get on the front row! Starting on the soft tyre may help him launch of the line ahead of Lewis.

Shame for Norris after such a strong effort - would have been P3 if he didn’t go wide and lose the lap. He was 4 tenths ahead of Ricciardo too.

— Karun Chandhok (@karunchandhok) April 17, 2021

‘Bad news’: Rookie’s big crash

Yuki Tsunoda’s car was a bit worse for wear.

Early in the first session, AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda slammed into the wall, causing a red flag on the session.

Sky Sports Martin Brundle said it was a brutal blow for the team.

“That is a huge amount of damage, and probably with the gearbox gone too,” he said.

“That’s very bad news for a team with their factory just up the road.

“This is a golden opportunity that has well and truly been wrecked.”

But none of the big teams were pushed into Q1 elimination zone with Ricciardo sliding into Q2 in 13th.

In Q2, McLaren teammate Lando Norris was the second fastest, pipped by just 0.002 second, while Ricciardo had to battle right until the end to sit P8.

Surprisingly, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz out in P11, just missing out the top 10.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Starting Grid

Row 1: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

Row 2: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

Row 3: Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) – Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)

Row 4: Lando Norris (McLaren) – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

Row 5: Esteban Ocon (Alpine) – Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

Row 6: Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – George Russell (Williams)

Row 7: Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) – Nicholas Latifi (Williams)

Row 8: Fernando Alonso (Alpine) – Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo)

Row 9: Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) – Mick Schumacher (Haas)

Row 10: Nikita Mazepin (Haas) – Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)