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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cThat is noted, will be remembered as well,\u201d growled the Dutchman as he stood alongside Piastri for the post-session interviews.<\/p>\n
Asked who got in his way after the broadcast did not make it clear, Verstappen offered a pointed reply that drew a wry smile from Piastri and awkward laughs from all involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot Oscar,\u201d Verstappen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo yeah that was a bit of shame because otherwise I think it could\u2019ve been close for pole.\u201d<\/p>\n
The episode was the latest instance of the long off-track friendship between Verstappen and Norris appearing to crumble.<\/p>\n
The previously close pair seemed to grow apart during last season\u2019s title fight and Verstappen\u2019s engineer Gianpiero Lambiase on Saturday hinted at the frustrations.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can thank your mate for that,\u201d Lambiase told Verstappen after Norris held him up.<\/p>\n
Norris hit back later: \u201cThey always complain. They complain about everything. That\u2019s Red Bull.\u201d<\/p>\n
McLaren need only one podium finisher on Sunday to wrap up the constructors\u2019 title, and it\u2019s advantage Piastri after the Australian finished two places clear of Norris, who revealed how he\u2019s been struggling with illness.<\/p>\n
That certainly won\u2019t help the English contender in the demanding, sweltering conditions under the lights, with Piastri having a real chance to extend his 25-point lead in the championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, I would have wanted more, but I don\u2019t think we had four-tenths in it to go and get pole,\u201d said Piastri, whose best lap of 1:29.524 was 0.366sec slower than Russell\u2019s 1:29.158.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo ultimately, pretty happy. Feel like it\u2019s been a good weekend so far, and we built up through it nicely. Ultimately it was a pretty clean session, so that\u2019s all I could ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like others, the Australian was still a bit taken aback at McLaren\u2019s lack of pace: \u201cBut we\u2019ve not had the easiest last couple of weekends, but I do think we felt after practice we had a better chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Piastri was adamant he wouldn\u2019t be playing it safe on Sunday to just stay ahead of Norris.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, if there\u2019s an opportunity to finish higher than I\u2019m starting, then I\u2019ll try and take it,\u201d Piastri said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m not just going to settle for the position I\u2019m in, or any position just ahead of Lando. I want to maximise the race I can get.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very tough to overtake around here. You need a fair bit of extra pace to get past someone, so we\u2019ll see if we\u2019ve got that tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Norris just shrugged: \u201cI think others are just improving. Mercedes are doing a very good job. Red Bull have been very good the last few weekends, so nothing is a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n
But while he admitted to have been struggling after not feeling too well since arriving in Singapore, he was again making no excuses about his performances.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just didn\u2019t do the best job,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Especially not in Verstappen\u2019s eyes. The Dutchman, coming off two wins, reckoned Norris blocking him probably cost him another pole.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lap itself was coming nicely but, unfortunately, I had a car like two seconds in front of me in the financial chicane. That\u2019s not nice when it happens; it could have been avoided,\u201d Verstappen said.<\/p>\n
It was the second pole of the year for Russell following the Canadian Grand Prix in June, which he went on to win.<\/p>\n
Less than two weeks on from their best finish in years in Baku, Williams had both cars disqualified for a technical infringement.<\/p>\n
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz Jr qualified 12th and 13th but will start at the back of the grid because part of the rear wings of their cars \u201cexceeded the maximum limit\u201d allowed by the regulations during a check of the DRS overtaking aid.<\/p>\n
– with 7NEWS<\/p>\n
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