Austrian Grand Prix: McLaren Leads FP2 as Verstappen Lurks
Red Bull Ring, Austria – McLaren’s Lando Norris recorded the fastest time in the second practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, narrowly ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, who currently leads the world championship standings. Norris clocked a best lap of 1:03.560, with Piastri just 0.066 seconds adrift, signaling a solid performance from the McLaren duo.
Despite their impressive showing, both drivers expressed caution regarding the threat posed by reigning champion Max Verstappen, who completed the session in third place, just 0.350 seconds off the pace. Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin was the only other car to come within half a second of the McLarens, highlighting the competitive nature of the session.
“I think the car felt good from the off,” Norris stated. “Good steps in the right direction but a little bit more to come hopefully. I certainly think they’re going to catch up, and Max is not far behind. They normally improve a lot heading into Saturday.”
Piastri remains optimistic as he seeks to extend his 22-point lead in the championship. “It looked pretty good. Max is still close. I think he’ll definitely be a threat this weekend,” he noted.
The two McLaren drivers utilized different specifications of their MCL39 car for the session. Norris employed the suspension upgrades tested in Canada, while Piastri continued with an earlier version. “There are some other bits and pieces,” Piastri remarked. “I’m not using the bits that came in Canada because they’re not an upgrade; they’re just different."
While Norris is looking to build on his rapid pace, he also acknowledged the unpredictable nature of form in qualifying. "I expect a good day tomorrow, but it’s not as easy as maybe it looked today. This is still going to be tight,” he concluded.
As the teams prepare for FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, the battle for supremacy will intensify, with McLaren and Red Bull positioning themselves as the key contenders.
