Norris optimistic about McLaren's performance in Barcelona

Lando Norris expressed hope that McLaren would improve in competitiveness at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix after finishing first in Friday practice. He clocked a time just 0.009 seconds faster than George Russell of Mercedes, while Oscar Piastri, his McLaren teammate, trailed by 0.057 seconds. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari secured the fourth position, being 0.373 seconds behind Norris, while Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, was further back.

McLaren entered the Spanish event following challenging races in Canada and Monaco, where both Norris and Piastri struggled with their pace. Norris, who retired in both outings, remarked on the contrast to the previous tracks, saying, "It’s quicker, playing with the car in a very different regime than the last few weeks and it seems to be working in a better place than the last few weeks."

He noted, "A reasonable Friday. Still a good few things to improve. It’s hot and I don’t think anyone’s going to be that happy. It’s difficult with the wind and with the conditions but it seems to be working better than the last few weeks, which is a good sign. We’re up there with the people we want to be with."

Russell, currently 68 points behind Antonelli in the championship race, did not participate in any media interviews on Friday, as only one driver from each team was mandated to do so. He managed to finish ahead of Antonelli by 0.274 seconds, though Antonelli missed the first practice session while reserve driver Frederik Vesti filled in. Antonelli faced issues such as overheating tires, stating, "Just trying to find the best balance. With only one lap, it is always difficult, but overall there is still quite a bit of work to do. I am quite confident ahead of tomorrow."

Bradley Lord, McLaren’s deputy team principal, commented on the competitive nature of the session, stating that both George and McLaren performed strongly. He added, "It looks like the pecking order is a little bit different to Monaco, more similar to Miami. It looks very tight between us and McLaren."

Leclerc's long run performance was noted as better than Russell's, and although McLaren had a challenging time during race simulations, it hinted at a tighter performance relative to Ferrari compared to previous races this season. Hamilton struggled during the practices, finishing ninth after letting Ferrari driver Dino Beganovic take a run in the first session.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull found himself in sixth, expressing concerns about his car's balance, feeling a lack of grip throughout the day, and highlighting the challenges the team faced.