Norris Fastest in Both Sessions, But Confidence Still Not Complete

Yet, despite this apparent dominance, Norris was strikingly cautious in his assessment after Friday running, admitting that he is “not totally confident” and “not completely satisfied” with the behaviour of his car. This contrast between the raw results and the driver’s feelings is central to understanding McLaren’s situation heading into qualifying.

A strong start masks underlying doubts

The lap times from both FP1 and FP2 left little doubt about McLaren’s one‑lap speed. Norris was able to extract strong performance on the soft compound, particularly in the decisive final sector. However, he explained that small issues with balance, especially over longer runs and in changing fuel loads, left him feeling that the McLaren was still “a bit tricky” in certain corners.

Where the McLaren still needs work

Norris’ lack of full confidence is rooted in a series of smaller details:

• Fine balance in slow corners: Norris indicated that the car is not yet perfectly balanced across different phases, with some instability or understeer/oversteer tendencies depending on fuel load.
• Sensitivity to track evolution: Norris suggested that the McLaren is quite sensitive to the rapidly improving track conditions at Yas Marina.
• Tyre management: Over longer stints, keeping the rear tyres in the right temperature window and avoiding excessive degradation remains a critical challenge.

Piastri’s struggles on soft tyres

Oscar Piastri’s Friday offered an important counterpoint. While not dramatically off the pace, he openly admitted to struggling more with the soft tyres, particularly in extracting peak grip over a single lap. His difficulties underline that the McLaren, for all its speed, is not an easy car to fully exploit in all conditions.

Conclusion: Speed needs to match feeling

The opening day of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has firmly placed Lando Norris and McLaren at the top of the timesheets, yet the driver’s own words reveal a more complex reality. For McLaren, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. With Red Bull and Verstappen lurking close behind, the margin for error is slim.