Where will Lando Norris start the Sepang race?

He qualified sixth, one place ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who was seventh on the grid.

How far off pole was Norris in Sepang qualifying?

He was six tenths of a second slower than Max Verstappen, the polesitter, with a best lap of 1m35.757s.

What went wrong with Norris's McLaren?

It has been reported as a power unit problem that cost him time on his qualifying lap. McLaren have not explained the cause or said whether anything will be changed.

Which race is being held at Sepang?

The session has been described as qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, but that name and the Sepang venue do not match. No clarification of the correct round has been given.

F1

Norris blames power unit problem for sixth place on Sepang grid

The McLaren driver ended qualifying six tenths behind polesitter Max Verstappen and only 0.005s clear of his own team-mate, Oscar Piastri.

By Sportsback2h ago

TheSportsDB · free-tier / non-commercial — review before commercial launch

Lando Norris will start the Sepang race from sixth place after a power unit problem in qualifying, the McLaren driver finishing six tenths of a second behind polesitter Max Verstappen. Norris set a 1m35.757s, a lap that left him just 0.005s clear of team-mate Oscar Piastri in seventh.

Lando Norris, United Kingdom — Lando NorrisMcLaren · United KingdomDriver

The gap to Verstappen

Verstappen took pole for Red Bull and ended the session six tenths ahead of the leading McLaren. Norris's frustration was aimed at the car rather than at his own execution of the lap, with the power unit identified as the source of the time lost. The two McLarens were separated by five thousandths of a second, Piastri slotting in directly behind his team-mate.

How Norris explained the problem

The issue is described as a power unit problem that left Norris short of speed on his qualifying lap. Which part of the lap suffered, and how much of the six-tenth deficit can be attributed to the unit, has not been set out in detail. Norris's assessment is reported rather than confirmed by the team, and McLaren have given no technical explanation of it.

The event name does not match the venue

The session is described as qualifying for the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, a pairing that does not sit together, and is also placed at Sepang, the Malaysian circuit. Which name belongs to the round has not been clarified. The venue given in the accounts is Sepang, and that is how it is treated here.

Why a sixth-place start matters

Norris lines up with four cars between him and Verstappen, and with his own team-mate immediately behind him. A power unit that is down on performance hurts most in traffic, where a car has to pull alongside and clear a rival; if the problem persists into the race, Norris's recovery will be harder than the grid slot alone suggests. That is an assessment, not something McLaren have said.

What has not been confirmed

McLaren have not commented on what went wrong with the power unit, whether any component will be replaced or repaired before the race, or whether a change would alter Norris's starting position. No grid penalty has been announced. The team have also not said whether the problem touched Piastri's car, which qualified directly behind Norris.

What happens next

The race follows qualifying at Sepang, and Norris's task is to move forward from sixth. Any decision on the power unit will become apparent in the hours before the start. Until then, neither the extent of the problem nor its effect on race pace is known.

Frequently asked questions

Where will Lando Norris start the Sepang race?: He qualified sixth, one place ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who was seventh on the grid.
How far off pole was Norris in Sepang qualifying?: He was six tenths of a second slower than Max Verstappen, the polesitter, with a best lap of 1m35.757s.
What went wrong with Norris's McLaren?: It has been reported as a power unit problem that cost him time on his qualifying lap. McLaren have not explained the cause or said whether anything will be changed.
Which race is being held at Sepang?: The session has been described as qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, but that name and the Sepang venue do not match. No clarification of the correct round has been given.