Lando Norris of Great Britain competed in the McLaren MCL38 car during the Formula 1 World Championship at the Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia. During the practice day, Norris expressed caution regarding McLaren’s chances of challenging the frontrunners, Red Bull and Ferrari, despite his top performance in FP1. However, a more accurate reflection of McLaren’s speed was seen in FP2, where Norris finished in ninth place, two positions behind his teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris downplayed the expectations that arose from his strong showing in the morning, stating that the MCL38 had no particular strengths on the Albert Park Circuit. He believed that the team’s performance in FP1 was not significant. Despite being Red Bull’s main competitor in the previous season, McLaren has not been able to mount a serious challenge for the podium in the early stages of the championship. Norris had predicted that Ferrari would pose a threat to Red Bull’s dominance in this race, acknowledging that the SF-24 car had an advantage over McLaren in terms of lap time. He mentioned that Ferrari would likely secure pole position, with either Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz Jr. claiming it. Norris admitted that McLaren loses time to Ferrari in every sector, especially in the tighter and more twisty sections of the track. However, he remained optimistic about McLaren’s ability to compete against Aston Martin and Mercedes, despite their weaknesses being exposed. Norris believed that the team was in a reasonable position and would focus on improving the balance and performance of the car. Both McLaren drivers faced challenging conditions during the sessions due to dust and wind, resulting in several incidents and close calls. Piastri, who is from Melbourne, described Friday’s practice as “tricky” but highlighted the positive signs from the car despite the difficulties. He mentioned that their performance would determine whether they would be at the front or towards the back end of the top 10. McLaren continued to test different setups during FP2, including switching between high and low downforce front wings. Piastri and Norris aimed to make a final decision on the setup overnight. Piastri anticipated a tight competition throughout the weekend, with high tire wear adding to the challenge. However, he believed that qualifying at the front would provide an advantage on Sunday.
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