McLaren immediately stood out in the first two free practice sessions at the Red Bull Ring. Norris shone especially bright on a track where he has excelled for years. It was also a good day for Antonelli, while Max may be the only real threat to the MCL39s.
Three tenths at Spielberg is a lot. That was the gap between Friday’s leader Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, who ended the day in third place. Between them was Oscar Piastri, confirming a day in which McLaren returned to setting the pace. Rivals of the Papaya team hope that the engine mode used by Norris and Piastri was particularly aggressive (it wouldn’t be the first time), a scenario that could also explain Lance Stroll’s surge to fourth at the end of FP2. If that’s not the case, McLaren’s hold on the Austrian Grand Prix would be very strong and likely unchallengeable.
The MCL39 was back on more favorable ground compared to Montreal’s layout. At Spielberg, aerodynamic load plays a much more crucial role, as does the overall balance of the car. Visually, both Norris and Piastri appeared to be immediately at ease, but it was Lando who truly impressed. After skipping FP1 (with McLaren handing the car over to Alex Dunn), Norris quickly found his rhythm in the afternoon session. His qualifying simulation time was outstanding, topping all three sectors and beating Piastri by a tenth and a half.
Even though it’s only the start of a long weekend, Norris has sent a clear message. The Red Bull Ring isn’t in England, but it’s effectively “his” track: he earned his first podium here in 2020, repeated the feat the following season — back when McLaren was not a consistent podium contender — and then experienced heartbreak last year when he was close to victory before colliding with Verstappen. On the ten corners of Spielberg, Lando has something extra — a bonus he absolutely must capitalize on against Piastri. Any other outcome would be a heavy blow.
Further fueling Lando’s hopes of success was his race simulation: a 12-lap run on medium tires completed at a pace no one else could match. Norris’s pace (average lap time 1’09”597) was approached only by Piastri, who ran on soft tires (9 laps at an average of 1’09”702). “I’ve always liked this track,” Norris commented. “We started the weekend well, showing better pace than our rivals, but we know everyone will make progress for tomorrow. I think we still have room for improvement, but I’m optimistic.”
Kimi Antonelli’s 11th place should not be misleading — overall, his day was much more positive than it appears. Antonelli was actually the closest challenger to the McLarens in terms of race pace. In the qualifying simulation, he was three tenths behind Russell (ending up 11th also due to traffic), but his race pace was very competitive. In that run too, the gap to his teammate was three tenths — in Antonelli’s favor.
The two Mercedes cars were not particularly sharp on a flying lap, but both drivers went out on soft tires slightly earlier than their direct rivals. Their true potential will only be confirmed tomorrow. Within McLaren, however, the main threat is still considered to be Verstappen. Max completed only a few laps in his race simulation, running a four-lap stint on soft tires. His pace remained unseen, and that alone is enough for the Norris-Piastri duo to regard Red Bull’s number 1 as the most serious danger.
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