Despite setting the pace in FP1 at the Albert Park Circuit, the Briton finished third in the second practice session (FP2), behind Ferrari\u2019s Charles Leclerc and teammate Oscar Piastri.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While McLaren\u2019s performance on Friday reaffirmed their status as one of the frontrunners this season, Norris was not entirely satisfied with how his car handled in certain conditions. Speaking after FP2, he admitted that while the team had made a solid start, there were areas that still needed work, particularly when running on lighter fuel loads.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Too many inconsistencies, too many problems,\u201d Norris said when asked about his Friday performance. \u201cI think it\u2019s been a good start to the weekend. We\u2019ve got a good baseline, but certainly not happy or confident with the car in terms of finding the best balance and being consistent enough, especially on low fuel.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Briton drew parallels to his struggles in Bahrain earlier in the season, citing similar issues with stability when the fuel load was reduced. \u201cI feel like (on the) high fuel, I felt good, (but) just low fuel, similar to Bahrain \u2013 too many inconsistencies, too many problems, so a bit of a struggle.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite his concerns, Norris remained cautiously optimistic about McLaren\u2019s competitiveness. When asked whether the team would be a strong contender for the season, he acknowledged the tough fight ahead. \u201cI don\u2019t know what positive means, but I think we\u2019ll be strong. I think, like we said the whole time, we\u2019ll be strong, Ferrari will be strong, Mercedes (too). I don\u2019t know, we\u2019ll wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Meanwhile, home hero Oscar Piastri had a more upbeat outlook on McLaren\u2019s performance, describing Friday as a \"pretty encouraging\" day. The Australian, who finished second in FP2, was pleased with the car\u2019s underlying pace but acknowledged that adjustments were still needed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI think the pace was pretty solid, still a few things to try and iron out to make the car feel a bit nicer,\u201d Piastri said. \u201cI think the underlying pace seems strong. I\u2019m pretty happy with the day\u2019s work. I think it\u2019s going to be pretty different for the next two days, so how much today means, we don\u2019t know, but it feels pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Melbourne native has the chance to deliver a special result in front of his home fans but remained cautious when asked about his podium prospects. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to say. The weather\u2019s going to be pretty different on Sunday and that\u2019s going to throw some spanners in the works, but I think the underlying pace of the car seems strong,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI think the pace was pretty solid, still a few things to try and iron out to make the car feel a bit nicer,\u201d Piastri said. \u201cI think the underlying pace seems strong. I\u2019m pretty happy with the day\u2019s work. I think it\u2019s going to be pretty different for the next two days, so how much today means, we don\u2019t know, but it feels pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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