McLaren Struggles in Canadian GP Practice
Montreal, Canada – McLaren faced a challenging start to the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix weekend, as drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri reported subdued performance during practice sessions. Norris recorded the seventh fastest time in the morning session but improved to second in FP2, while Piastri finished 14th and sixth, respectively.
Despite being a leading team so far this season, Norris described Friday as "the most difficult" of the year, stating, "A little bit off the pace comparing to some of the others. Yes, we have some work to do." The driver expressed concerns over consistency, managing only one notable lap throughout the sessions.
Competitors Mercedes, Red Bull, and Williams showcased strong performances on the circuit, with nearly the entire field tightly contested ahead of Saturday’s final practice and qualifying.
McLaren had brought upgrades to Montreal, including a revised front wing designed for improved aerodynamic performance. This modification comes after their previous experiment with a lower-flex wing at Imola and subsequent refinements made for the Canadian race. In discussing these updates, Norris remarked, "It’s pretty similar, honestly, but I think it’s hard to say from one track."
Piastri acknowledged the struggles, stating, "It’s been a little bit of a tricky day just trying to find the right window with the car. The new parts have done what we expected them to, but we still need to find a bit more." He emphasized the necessity of fine-tuning their setup and finding consistency ahead of the weekend.
As the teams prepare for the next rounds of practice, McLaren’s engineers will need to analyze data extensively to enhance performance before the qualifying session.
