Lando Norris sets fastest lap ever after McLaren fires at Spanish GP

Hours earlier, a pair of Norris' running shoes had been lost in the confusion that followed a fire at his reception center. A member of the McLaren team went to hospital as a precaution after the team and their guests were successfully escorted out. .

Despite the drama, Norris said his preparations had not been affected.

“A little scare for the whole team is never a good thing,” Norris said at the post-qualifying press conference. “But it’s just a day that’s probably a little more stressful than I would have liked.

“I lost my shoes, and honestly, that was probably as bad as it gets for me. It's just different, I haven't been in my normal room, maybe I haven't been able to relax as much as usual.

He added: “It's all been a bit complicated. I think I have one or two sets of everything, and I think they managed to get some stuff out. But some of it probably isn't the best to use, or it smells quite bad.

“Some things I released, but I like to listen to music and stuff before, and Oscar [Piastri] I complain a lot because my music is too loud during pre-sessions. But I just didn’t get that this time.”

Once the hospitality unit was evacuated and the fire was extinguished, the McLaren team and its hospitality unit guests were dispersed around the paddock, while other teams moved in to look after people.

“I've had a lot of offers from people, it's been great. Honestly, a lot of teams have been very, very nice to us, McLaren, offering help and things like that, so Everything was good on that side.” But it's a shame that it won't be used today or tomorrow. I don't think about anything, and maybe not in the future. But that’s not something I know at the moment.”

As for the trick itself, Norris felt it was one of the best he had ever done.

“It’s great, yeah,” he said. “The Poles still feel good… It's been a long time since Sochi, back then. It's great. It was an incredible lap, honestly, it was by far my best lap.

“I pretty much completed the whole lap, so I had a good slipstream. Yeah. Those were probably my best corners the whole lap, every part of the lap put together. Max was a little bit ahead in Q1 and Q2 , and I knew that To achieve that I had to do something perfect in Q3, and that's exactly what I did, I'm really happy that I managed to put in my best lap that I've probably ever do.”

It appears unlikely that McLaren's hospitality unit will return to normal capacity by Sunday.

Norris is again expecting a distraction-free day on Sunday as he looks to convert his second career pole into a second career victory.

“Honestly, nothing has been a problem, and I've never been one to complain about things like that. Honestly, I could do nothing and jump in the car whenever I need to. When you have the ability to have a few minutes to yourself, and a few of these things you take because you just want to relax and think for a few minutes before you go out and do it.

“Nothing for today, maybe tomorrow will impact me a little more, that I can't enjoy this moment of calm that I love, but it's not the end of the world. So I'm not going to I won't complain about it.”

Norris will start ahead of Verstappen and the resurgent Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who have locked out the second row ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.