Norris fears Red Bull held back: 'We showed our cards already'

Lando Norris will start the Belgian GP in his lowest grid position since Canada but vows all is not lost after McLaren's disappointing qualifying result. The British driver hints that the team has made sacrifices that should make them quicker over a race distance. This comes after he feared Red Bull held back in practice.

Norris will start from P4, behind Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen starts behind the McLaren driver due to a hefty grid penalty. Whilst other drivers including Hamilton and Russell have feared Verstappen coming through the field, Norris isn't overly concerned ahead of the race.

Can McLaren bounce back in the Belgian Grand Prix?

"The Red Bulls have been a step above us for the whole weekend. Even though we were a little bit quicker yesterday, I don't think Red Bull showed their cards at all. We did. What we did yesterday was pretty much all we got," Norris told Sky Sports after qualifying.

"I just struggling a little bit myself. I just haven't been able to click very well today. I was always like one step behind and just always a little bit on the back foot. So, to still come away with a P5, I was actually surprised with it and, therefore, happy with it. It's not the result I wanted, honestly. I've still got to overtake some quick cars tomorrow, like the Red Bull of Perez and things like that. But I think maybe the slightly lower downforce that we have has potentially hurt us a little bit today and hopefully kind of pays us back tomorrow. The win is the target," Norris reported.