Lando Norris has explained how a pre-qualifying nap left him fearing the worst, having woken up expecting dry conditions in Sin City.
The McLaren driver clinched a masterful pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with the grid-setting session starting in treacherous conditions, but remaining difficult as the track slowly headed into intermediate tyre territory.
With Max Verstappen joining him on the front row, the Briton will have his work cut out for him at the start of the 50-lap race under the lights of The Strip.
However, McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri only being able to go fifth-fastest hands Norris a crucial advantage in the F1 drivers' championship battle, as he looks to add to his 24-point lead.
Reflecting on the wet qualifying session, the 26-year-old said: "Boy, that was stressful. Stressful as hell.
"I didn't know no one else was gonna get a lap after me, so I knew I felt like the first two sectors were good.
"It's so slippery out there... as soon as you hit the kerb a little bit wrong, like I did, you snap one way, you lose the car the other way, close to hitting the wall," he added, recalling a scary moment he endured towards the end of his final push lap.
"But good enough. Good enough for P1 today. So, not the nicest of conditions, but I'm happy it stopped raining and we could get a good qualifying on."
Norris showed his gratitude to McLaren for setting up the MCL39 in a way that allowed him to maximise its performance, at a circuit the team has struggled at since it joined the calendar in 2023.
The 11-time grand prix winner also explained how he took a nap before qualifying and was greeted by a surprise when he awoke.
"You need a good car to do it, first of all," he explained. "So, the team did a good job.
"To be honest, I was having a little nap before quali and I was expecting it to be dry, and I woke up and I saw it was raining, and I thought: 'Oh, crap, this is not gonna go well.'
"But no one's driven around here in the rain before. It's difficult to know what to expect. And like, after Q1, it was pretty... every corner, you feel like you could crash, and it could easily be over.
"So one step at a time, Q1, Q2, Q3 — all tough. So more rewarding a day like this, because it was a tricky one."
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