Deprived of the entire EL2 session due to a gearbox problem, Lando Norris is seriously behind in his discovery of the Madring. The McLaren driver will now rely on Oscar Piastri’s data.
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Lando Norris’s first day in Madrid did not go as planned. On a completely new circuit where every kilometer counts, the reigning world champion was deprived of the entire second free practice session due to a gearbox problem on his McLaren.
However, Norris had been able to accumulate laps during EL1 and identify several changes to make to his MCL40. But at the start of EL2, the Briton returned to the pits after reporting a false neutral and estimating that his gearbox was out of order. McLaren tried to replace it before the end of the session but failed to complete the intervention in time.
Norris admits starting with a serious handicap
By losing an hour of running, Norris missed a third of the three hours of practice available before qualifying. A particularly penalizing situation on the Madring, where drivers still have to learn the lines, understand the rapid evolution of grip, and determine the best settings.
“The day was complicated. It was positive to be able to accumulate laps in the morning, where we identified several changes to make to the car, but we ultimately couldn’t progress in EL2 because of a gearbox problem.”
Norris acknowledges that this loss of time now puts him in a delicate position compared to his rivals, who were able to use the second session to continue their learning.
“Every time you arrive at a new circuit, time spent on track is very important. So we are clearly behind after missing EL2.”
Piastri’s data to the rescue
McLaren will now have to maximize the work done off the track. Norris plans to rely in particular on the information collected by Oscar Piastri, who completed 24 laps during EL2 and finished the session in seventh position.
Engineers will be able to compare the data from the two McLarens, but also observe the performances of rival teams to best prepare for the final free practice sessions. For Norris, EL3 will now be particularly important before qualifying scheduled a few hours later.
“We will work hard overnight studying the data from EL1, Oscar’s car, and the teams around us. The goal will be to learn as much as possible during EL3.”
Despite this setback, Norris enjoyed his first laps on the new Spanish track and hopes to quickly find his rhythm on Saturday.
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“It was still positive to be able to do my first laps here in Madrid. The circuit is interesting and I look forward to accumulating more kilometers before qualifying.”
Piastri already warns about the tires
Piastri’s day was much more productive, although the Australian also admits he needed time to understand the Madring. Once the rhythm was found, the circuit seemed much more enjoyable to drive.
“Overall, it was a solid day. We learned a lot and driving on a new circuit always makes things a bit more difficult at first. Once you find your rhythm, it becomes quite enjoyable to drive.”
However, Piastri identified a problem that could become important on Sunday: tire degradation. The graining observed on Friday could complicate their management over long stints and play a decisive role in race strategy.
“Tire management will be difficult because we have a lot of graining. We got a bit closer in EL2, which is a positive development, but we still lack pace.”
McLaren still needs to unlock potential
Beyond the tires, Piastri believes McLaren is still struggling to fully exploit the performance of the MCL40 on the Madrid street circuit. His seventh place in the second session confirms that the British team has not immediately regained the level shown at some of the recent Grands Prix.
“The main challenge is to extract the maximum from the car on a street circuit like this. We need to find more consistency to unlock those extra tenths.”
McLaren therefore still has work to do before qualifying. Piastri must find more speed while Norris will simultaneously have to make up for lost time, understand the changes made to his car, and quickly regain his bearings to attack at the limit.
The third practice session will therefore be crucial for the Briton. Another interruption or additional technical problem would significantly reduce his chances of approaching qualifying in good conditions.
Norris will therefore have to rely on the data collected by Piastri to accelerate his learning of the Madring. Deprived of a full hour of running on Friday, the world champion starts with an obvious handicap, while McLaren already needs to find more performance to hope to get closer to the leading teams in Madrid.
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