'We're in a pickle', says F1 champion Norris

SILVERSTONE, England, July 4 : Formula One world champion Lando Norris painted a bleak picture of McLaren's British Grand Prix hopes, one year on from celebrating an emotional one-two home win at Silverstone.

The 26-year-old qualified sixth on Saturday, ahead of Australian teammate Oscar Piastri in eighth, but a long way adrift of Mercedes pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli and the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

"It's pretty poor, really, in terms of gap to the cars ahead," Norris said after the gusty session.

"It was a good lap. I got, I think, everything out of it. So we're just slow.

"I thought we improved the car in some areas, but we need to understand like we're just slow in the straight, we're slow in every corner. It's just the car is not very efficient. We lack downforce and we have too much drag. So, yeah, we're in a pickle."

Norris was third in Saturday's earlier sprint race, improving from sixth on the grid, but he played down his chances of getting back on the podium in the longer format.

"There's a lot of straights here and just high speed. We're not very good in high speed and we lose a lot in that. And slow speed, like it's just this shows who has a good car and who doesn't. And it's clear that we don't," said the driver.

"Obviously, what made my race this morning was a good start. I don't know how I finished P3 this morning when you're seven-tenths a lap off... So we have to wait and see. Just try to get a good start, get in the mix. I think realistically, a P5 should be best.

"We'll try and beat the Red Bulls. That's the main thing we can ask for. I think to beat the cars that are seven-tenths quicker, both the Ferrari and the Mercedes, it's just a bit stupid."

Red Bull had Isack Hadjar fifth on the grid and four-times world champion Max Verstappen seventh.