The big story in F1 this season has been how the pack behind Red Bull has closed in on the 2023 constructors’ championship and what the prospects for a title fight are as we enter the second half of the season. Who will be at the front of the pack? McLaren, the favourites in the second half of last year, have shown phenomenal pace this year.
And if Friday’s results from the British Grand Prix are any indication, that will continue this weekend.
Lando Norris topped the timesheets in both FP1 and FP2, with team-mate Oscar Piastri close behind him in both sessions, with the Australian driver third quickest in FP1 and second quickest in FP2. Practice results often only tell part of the picture but what will be reassuring for McLaren is that all teams, including Red Bull, used the softest compound available in FP2.
Both drivers, as well as team principal Andrea Stella, deemed Friday a “solid” first day.
“It was a good day, I got some good runs and some good laps in so I feel pretty comfortable. We made some changes in the morning which helped me get into a good rhythm, which is crucial on a fast track like this,” Norris said in his team’s post-practice report.
“I think we still need to make some adjustments but it’s difficult with the challenges of the wind and rain. We had two clean sessions and a good start to the weekend so I’m happy.”
Piastri, who took advantage of late incidents by Norris and Max Verstappen to secure a podium finish at the Austrian Grand Prix, hailed Friday’s result but warned that the weather could have unexpected effects on teams for the rest of the weekend.
“That’s it for Friday. It was a decent day for the team, especially in FP2. For me there are a few things to iron out overnight to be a bit better, but I think it was a solid first day at Silverstone,” Piastri said.
“I think we’re in a decent position going into tomorrow but it looks like it’s probably going to be very wet so that could change. I’m looking forward to getting back on the track.”
McLaren’s boss has taken a similar approach.
“We had two productive sessions today at Silverstone. There was always a risk of rain, but it only started to fall towards the end of the second session, which gave us plenty of time for run planning and set-up work,” said Stella. “Overall, the information was encouraging, but the conditions today were very unusual so we’re not really focusing on the lap times themselves. Now we’re just focused on tomorrow, where we need to be ready for whatever the weather may bring.”
Let’s take a closer look at some of the telemetry data. F1 Tempo Norris’s strength stood out compared to Verstappen on Friday, with both drivers on the softest compound tyre, and their fastest laps in FP2 were as follows:
Of course, it remains to be seen whether this is a setup issue or an engine mode issue.
But it was certainly a strong first day for McLaren at the British Grand Prix.
