Norris proud: 'Verstappen beaten despite Red Bull having the faster car'

Norris goes into battle with Verstappen

Norris says he is not surprised he managed to record the pole time. "I mean, not surprised because my lap was so good. It was really good. It was genuinely one of the best laps I think I've ever done," he told Viaplay. "But to beat Max in the Red Bull, who I think was a quicker car today, was a good achievement."

"I still think Red Bull have a slight advantage over us. But between really Mercedes, us, Ferrari, and probably Red Bull is nothing more than two or three-tenths. We love it. So good for you guys. It makes my life very stressful," Norris laughed. "I don't like it, but it makes it exciting. And therefore anything can happen in a race tomorrow."

Asked if he is looking forward to battling Verstappen, the McLaren driver replied, "I mean, I look forward to fighting everyone. I prefer not to fight. I don't want to fight anyone, but I'm excited. I've never really had many opportunities with Max. The few times I've had an opportunity is when he's like one-second lap quicker. I don't even need to fight him. I just let him go. But tomorrow is a different story. I don't care. I will fight. I'm going for a win and a victory. So I'll do what I got to do."

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy