McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Rain showers made for quite a mixed up Friday at the Canadian Grand Prix, though Lando Norris fears Ferrari has the edge over McLaren.
The weather at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve brought about contrasting conditions throughout the day. Initially, a hailstorm disrupted the pit lane opening in FP1, resulting in a delay. However, the session concluded with teams utilizing dry tyres due to improved weather conditions.
Lando Norris thinks Ferrari ‘little bit ahead’ of McLaren
The rain returned for FP2 with varying intensity, making for tricky transitions between the dry and intermediate tyres, with Norris going from the top of the timings in FP1 to the bottom after the second hour of practice.
Norris believes that Ferrari has the upper hand, considering both McLaren and Ferrari were considered strong contenders for the win, given the uncertainties about the true hierarchy after Friday practice. This significant shift in momentum suggests that Ferrari holds an advantageous position.
When asked about his satisfaction with McLaren’s data collected during Friday practice in Canada, Norris expressed his desire for more information, stating, “There’s never enough, but we did gain a significant amount of knowledge… However, we didn’t gather enough data in the dry conditions, to be completely honest.”
“I believe we completed the fewest laps compared to everyone else in dry conditions. Although it wasn’t ideal, we managed to perform well with a decent number of laps in wet conditions, putting us in a satisfactory position.”
Currently, it appears that we are slightly behind [the pace]. The Ferraris are certainly a few steps ahead.
I am uncertain about our current location because the conditions are constantly shifting. The timing of when to take the first or last lap, when the track is at its prime, can alter everything. Unfortunately, I am completely clueless about the optimal timing.
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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged that they might have already gathered the most crucial insights during Friday’s practice sessions due to the unpredictable weather conditions. Despite feeling uncertain about their performance, tire dynamics, and setup, Stella admitted that valuable information had potentially been obtained.
He mentioned that the rain had impacted both of today’s sessions, resulting in limited information regarding tire behavior, car setup, and our overall competitive position.
However, it is possible that we have already obtained the most valuable information since the conditions for the remainder of the weekend might remain the same.
Therefore, the running proved to be beneficial, and we were able to provide something for all the fans who came to see us today. It is important for us to maintain our concentration, utilize the lessons learned from today, and prepare ourselves for an exciting weekend ahead.
If the rain falls as expected, Norris’ McLaren team could be well-prepared for qualifying as Oscar Piastri, his teammate, believes their performance with the intermediates during [F]P2 was strong. This suggests that the Woking-based outfit may have a good chance of achieving a solid result.
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