McLaren’s upgraded MCL38 impressed at Zandvoort, yet Norris remains cautious, questioning if the updates will be enough to stay competitive in the Dutch GP.
Oscar Piastri posted the second-fastest time of the day at Zandvoort, driving a significantly upgraded McLaren F1 MCL38 during the first free practice sessions.
The Australian driver was in high spirits but remains aware of the closely contested field as the season resumes.
“It was a solid day. FP1 was tricky, but FP2 went well. Our one-lap pace is strong, though we need to assess our performance over long runs. Mercedes is looking strong, so it’s going to be a competitive weekend.”
Regarding the upgrades, Piastri commented, “They were quite good. The car isn’t drastically different but should be faster. Everything went smoothly, and we followed the plan.”
Meanwhile, Lando Norris, who clocked the fourth-fastest time, is uncertain whether McLaren’s extensive update package for the Dutch Grand Prix is functioning effectively after the first day of running at Zandvoort.
“Probably not perfect! Mercedes is quite fast—it’s close. I don’t think any one car is emerging as the quickest at the moment; it all depends on various factors.”
“We’ve been in good shape since Miami, but we haven’t introduced any updates since then. This weekend is the first time we’re trying to make some progress with the car.”
“I’m very optimistic, but I have no idea whether it’s working or how it’s behaving right now. Still, today was a decent day, and we’re almost there. We’ve got a bit more work to do tonight, and then we can challenge the Mercedes.”
Norris hopes to “make some progress” before becoming a real contender for pole position tomorrow.
“In any case, it’s good to be back in the car. I think Zandvoort is a tough place to return, simply because it’s fast—it goes up and down, turns, a bit of everything. It’s been a good first day back in the car, but we need to make some improvements before tomorrow if we want pole.”
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Piastri’s Fast Lap Promises Competitive Dutch GP Weekend Piastri’s Fast Lap Promises Competitive Dutch GP Weekend
