Lando Norris secured sixth place in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, finishing ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris voiced his frustration over a noticeable lack of straight-line speed, which he believes will affect his race performance. He emphasized that his difficulties were not due to his driving skills, but rather the car's inability to maintain speed on the straights, causing him to lose time repeatedly. Norris mentioned that he had completed a strong lap and felt he had already pushed the car to its limits. He stressed the importance of analyzing the data to identify areas for improvement. The straight-line speed issue is especially problematic because it restricts his ability to make up for lost time through driving techniques. McLaren's performance at Sepang did not reflect the team's earlier season progress, where they had shown consistent improvement and Norris had secured multiple pole positions. This time, McLaren struggled to keep up with the top teams, finishing behind Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes in qualifying. Max Verstappen took pole with Red Bull, followed by Lewis Hamilton, while drivers like Isack Hadjar, Kimi Antonelli, and Charles Leclerc outperformed Norris. Norris expressed his belief that McLaren should have achieved a higher position in qualifying, not because he could have completed a better lap, but because the team is not able to fully utilize the car's capabilities. He is worried that the straight-line speed deficit will also impact his race performance, especially on a track with many overtaking opportunities. However, the high temperatures and rough asphalt at Sepang may cause significant tire wear, which could change the race dynamics as tires degrade more quickly.