F1 | McLaren: Lando Norris sets the pace in Friday practice, uncertainty behind
Reaffirming his superiority from last year, Lando Norris dominated Friday at Zandvoort, immediately finding a special connection with the Dutch circuit that seems like his hunting ground. Life was tougher for Oscar Piastri, who ultimately closed the gap to his teammate but not without mistakes and moments of inexperience. This allowed Fernando Alonso to insert himself between the McLaren drivers, while Red Bull and Mercedes were not far behind.
Norris confirms McLaren dominance
Lando Norris has effectively booked his potential victory at the Dutch Grand Prix. The outcome after the first two practice sessions was not surprising, but what stood out was his confirmed superiority over rivals and the speed with which he quickly adapted to the fourteen corners of the Zandvoort track. Norris led both FP1 and FP2, demonstrating his pace even during long-run simulations. No mistakes, no slip-ups.
In his hands, the McLaren MCL39 was the missile seen before the summer break. However, and this was the first notable development of the weekend, Piastri’s MCL39 showed different characteristics, allowing Fernando Alonso to take second place in the “papaya sandwich.”
Piastri’s challenging Friday
For the championship leader, Friday was not without incidents. He brushed against grass and gravel in the run-off areas, experimented with different lines in the notorious Turn 3, and struggled to find the right feel for the braking zone at Tarzan corner. There was also a pit lane contact with George Russell, raising the risk of a grid penalty for Sunday. No sanction was applied, giving Piastri hope of challenging his teammate in qualifying.
True to the mindset of a leader, Norris downplayed expectations, talking about a long weekend ahead and the potential arrival of rain, which was absent during the two practice sessions despite forecasts. Even in dry conditions, there were several errors, including a red flag in FP1 caused by Kimi Antonelli and two in FP2 due to a heavy crash for Lance Stroll and a track excursion by Alexander Albon. FP2 was very fragmented, also interrupted by a VSC due to a power unit stoppage for Isack Hadjar, reducing the length of race simulations. Even in a limited number of laps, however, Lando set the pace.
Focus on qualifying and race strategy
The main priority remains preparation for tomorrow’s qualifying. Zandvoort is a circuit where track position is crucial; overtaking in simulations requires about one second per lap in performance. The goal is clear for George Russell and Max Verstappen, who finished fourth and fifth respectively at the end of FP2. Even with softer compounds than in 2024, teams structured the weekend around a one-stop race strategy, a forecast confirmed by the low tyre degradation observed in the long runs.
Performance of other teams
Mercedes confirmed their pace from the Hungarian GP, while Verstappen appears back in a position more suited to his performance level. “It wasn’t hard to be faster than at the Hungaroring,” Helmut Marko commented with irony, “but we haven’t found the right balance yet. The harder the compound, the easier it is for us. McLaren is out of reach, we need to watch Aston Martin, surprisingly strong today, and Mercedes roughly at our performance level. Ferrari seems to have more problems.”
Lewis Hamilton finished FP2 in sixth place, Charles Leclerc in eighth, eight tenths off the top three. This confirms significant setup challenges for Ferrari. The Scuderia’s engineers face considerable work, with setup changes necessary and careful planning required for qualifying and race conditions. On paper, everything is in place to improve the situation, but it will not be easy. Both drivers emphasized the car’s handling difficulties, highlighting the uphill battle to achieve a significant result – a task that will not be a formality.
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