McLaren Duo Show Strong Pace in Abu Dhabi Practice, Norris Leads as Piastri Adapts

Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi – Lando Norris set the pace in both Friday practice sessions for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, positioning his McLaren MCL38 at the top of the time sheets as the Formula 1 season finale commenced. While Norris demonstrated impressive raw speed, outpacing reigning World Champion Max Verstappen in both sessions, the Woking-based squad and its drivers maintained a measured outlook, emphasizing the preliminary nature of practice results and the intense competition expected in the decisive qualifying and race sessions.

Norris, who has been a standout performer in the latter half of the 2024 season, began his weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit with a strong showing. In Free Practice 1 (FP1), the Briton narrowly edged out Max Verstappen, recording a lap time that was a mere 0.008 seconds quicker than the Red Bull driver. This tight margin underscored the competitive nature of the top teams, even in the initial stages of a Grand Prix weekend. As the track evolved and teams fine-tuned their setups for the cooler evening conditions, Norris continued his impressive form into Free Practice 2 (FP2). Under the floodlights, he extended his advantage significantly, posting a time 0.363 seconds faster than Verstappen. This performance, particularly the increased gap in FP2, typically indicates a strong underlying pace and effective adaptation to varying track conditions and tire compounds.

Despite the promising statistics, Norris expressed a characteristic blend of satisfaction and cautious optimism. "Obviously, from the times and everything, things are good at the minute, but I still want a bit more from the car," Norris commented post-session. His remarks highlight the relentless pursuit of perfection inherent in Formula 1, even when leading the pack. "Not completely happy, not completely confident," he added, indicating that the team was still in the process of optimizing the MCL38. This sentiment often suggests that McLaren is exploring different setup directions or that Norris feels there is more performance yet to be extracted from the car. The strategic importance of Friday practice often involves running various configurations and gathering data, rather than purely chasing headline lap times. Norris concluded, "Hopefully, some more stuff we can get out of it overnight, but it’s not been a bad day for sure. It has been a positive day, but we always know it gets a lot closer going into quali, so nothing to smile about just yet." This statement reflects the reality of F1 weekends, where rivals often close the gap on Saturday as track conditions improve and setups converge. For Norris, who is currently engaged in a tight battle for a higher position in the drivers’ championship standings, converting practice pace into strong qualifying and race results will be paramount. McLaren’s recent form, marked by consistent podiums and a significant mid-season development push, places them as genuine contenders for strong finishes, and Norris’s performance on Friday aligns with these elevated expectations.

His teammate, Oscar Piastri, faced a slightly different Friday, having to sit out FP1 as McLaren fulfilled the mandatory rookie driver regulations for the 2025 season by fielding Pato O’Ward. This meant Piastri had a delayed start to his weekend, missing crucial track time to acclimate to the Yas Marina Circuit and evaluate the car’s initial setup. When asked if Norris’s uninterrupted running gave him an edge, Norris offered a terse "no," downplaying any significant advantage given Piastri’s rapid learning curve and natural talent.

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Piastri made his debut on track in FP2, completing 29 laps and recording the 11th-fastest time, 0.680 seconds adrift of Norris’s benchmark. Despite the deficit and the missed session, the young Australian remained composed. "I think I got there pretty well on the medium, just the soft, didn’t get the most out of the grip on that first timed lap," Piastri explained, referencing the initial challenge of extracting peak performance from the softest tire compound. His assessment suggests that his relative pace was not a fundamental issue with the car but rather a matter of personal optimization and adapting to the track’s grip levels. "Finding my feet, I think, but clearly some things to try and improve for tomorrow, but I think after just one session, not too bad," he added, indicating satisfaction with his progress given the circumstances. Piastri emphasized that any necessary adjustments would be minor. "I think it’s more just little details. The car feels like it’s in a pretty decent place. Again, just didn’t get the grip out of it in that first soft lap, so some small tweaks, of course. It didn’t feel perfect out there, but nothing major."

Looking ahead to Saturday, Piastri’s confidence was palpable, especially regarding his qualifying prospects. When queried about his pole chances, he described them as "pretty good." He elaborated, "I think the cars looked quick. Just need to get some more laps under my belt and find my feet a bit more, that’s all. A few more laps tomorrow, a few more sets of tires, hopefully, we’ll be there." This outlook underscores his belief in the car’s inherent performance and his ability to quickly close the gap with additional track time. Piastri, currently 16 points behind Norris in the drivers’ championship, will be keen to maximize his performance in qualifying to ensure a strong starting position and challenge his teammate and other rivals.

The performances of both McLaren drivers put the team in a strong position heading into the remainder of the weekend. While Max Verstappen, already crowned World Champion, showed competitive pace and remains the benchmark, Norris’s ability to consistently lead the sessions and Piastri’s quick adaptation suggest that McLaren could be a significant force in the final Grand Prix of the season. The focus for Saturday will be on converting this promising practice form into strong qualifying positions, which are notoriously crucial at the Yas Marina Circuit given its layout and limited overtaking opportunities. The battle for pole position and the subsequent race will likely be a close affair, with McLaren aiming to conclude their impressive season with a strong showing.

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Jonas Leo

Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.

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