McLaren's Norris and Piastri Kick Off Early Testing

Norris & Piastri Back Behind the Wheel for McLaren

11/02/2025

McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri hit the track early for Pirelli tests, regaining rhythm ahead of the upcoming season.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri rediscovered the feel of driving a Formula 1 car after the winter break. The two McLaren F1 drivers tested the 2023 MCL60 during a Pirelli session, and the 2024 vice-champion expressed his satisfaction with the restart.

“After the winter break, I feel good,” Norris said. “The winter has been productive, probably one of the busiest I’ve had in terms of training and preparation. I feel it’s been used well and more efficiently than last year, so I’m happy.”

“Actually, I’m even more excited to get back on track. I’m back in the car, and it feels good. Obviously, it’s not our race car for the year, so it’s not as thrilling as when I’ll step into this year’s car.”

“But it’s always nice to get back in the car and feel that sense of being behind the wheel again. Still, it’s not the same as getting into the race car for the season and taking part in the first race.”

Piastri enjoyed some free time and reflected on its benefits: “It’s nice to have a week or two where you can be home and do nothing without feeling guilty. Coming from Australia, that’s one of the toughest parts of racing, since I don’t go home often.”

“For me, being at home is a key part of the offseason, so it was good to return to Australia for a decent period and enjoy the Australian summer. It was great to see friends and family and experience life at home. I feel refreshed.”

“I trained well, but it’s nice to get back in the car. The first week was very cold and wet, but it felt good to be back on track. Everything was familiar, which is always comforting. And when it’s wet, that’s when your reactions are most tested.”

“So it was good to return under tricky conditions and challenge myself. The first lap or two were quite quick, but after that, everything felt normal. I think we learned a lot, and I felt like I got back into the rhythm easily.”

The Australian also emphasized that this break is essential to be in better shape ahead of another 24-race season: “Taking a break is very important. The seasons are now very, very long.”

“So it’s important for everyone on the team — not just us as drivers — to take time off and spend it with family and friends. Obviously, we love driving race cars, but too much of anything can become harmful at some point.”

Norris also admitted that he appreciates the disconnect, no matter how short: “I like not thinking about Formula 1 sometimes. Going home, seeing my friends, being alone, and doing other things in my life besides driving. It’s necessary, and I’m sure everyone would say the same.”

The Briton has prepared thoroughly for the upcoming season: “I’ve done a lot of different things in many different countries, making sure, in every aspect, that I could be better prepared than last year.”

With work now in full swing, Piastri explains what the next few weeks will involve for him and McLaren: “I’ve been in F1 for a few years now, so I’m starting to better understand the parts of my body that need more training and the areas I need to focus on.”

“I have a new trainer this year, so we’ve spent time getting to know each other and learning about our different working and training methods. It’s quite fun to get used to new things. Beyond that, it’s just about improving my overall fitness, maintaining muscle levels, and preparing my neck.”

“We have all the usual preseason marketing and media work—the graphics you see on TV, content for fans and partners, and of course, the launch we’re doing at the O2, which will be interesting. It’ll be good to see everyone back at the factory, get back to work, and settle into the 2025 car seat to see how it feels.”

Norris & Piastri Back Behind the Wheel for McLaren

McLaren’s Norris and Piastri Kick Off Early Testing McLaren’s Norris and Piastri Kick Off Early Testing

Race Center
China Flag
Chinese GP
21 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025
Free Practice 1
21 MAR 03:30 - 04:30
Sprint Qual
21 MAR 07:30 - 08:14
Sprint Race
22 MAR 03:00 - 04:00
Qualifying
22 MAR 07:00 - 08:00
Race
23 MAR 07:00 - 09:00

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Race Results

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
57
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.895s
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+8.481s
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
+12.773s
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+15.135s
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
+17.413s
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
+18.423s
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
+19.826s
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+20.448s
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+22.473s
Pierre Gasly
11
PIERRE
GASLY
+26.502s
Yuki Tsunoda
12
YUKI
TSUNODA
+29.884s
Esteban Ocon
13
ESTEBAN
OCON
+33.161s
Oliver Bearman
14
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+40.351s
Liam Lawson
15
LIAM
LAWSON
47 DNF
Gabriel Bortoleto
16
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
47 DNF
Fernando Alonso
17
FERNANDO
ALONSO
34 DNF
Carlos Sainz
18
CARLOS
SAINZ
0 DNF
Jack Doohan
19
JACK
DOOHAN
0 DNF
Isack Hadjar
20
ISACK
HADJAR
0 DNF
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
Chinese Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
United States Flag
United States
Miami
04 May

2025 FORMULA 1 DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
25 Points
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
18
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
15
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
12
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
10
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
8
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
6
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
4
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
2
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
1

2025 FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

1
McLaren
27
2
Mercedes
25
3
Red Bull
18
4
Williams
12
5
Aston Martin
8
6
Sauber
6
7
Ferrari
5
8
Alpine F1
0
9
Haas F1
0
10
Racing Bulls
0
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