It was a chaotic Friday at the Canadian Grand Prix, with rain showers shaking up the usual order of things. Lando Norris, driving for McLaren, candidly admitted that Ferrari seems to have the upper hand.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve experienced extreme weather, starting with a hailstorm that delayed the pit lane opening in FP1, which eventually ended on dry tires. The rain returned for FP2 with varying intensity, creating tricky transitions between dry and intermediate tires. This led to significant swings in the timing charts—from Norris topping FP1 to hitting the bottom after the second practice session.
Norris didn’t mince words when discussing Ferrari’s performance, stating, ‘At the minute I think we seem a little bit off [the pace]. The Ferraris seem definitely a little bit ahead.’ He also mentioned the challenges of learning much in the dry due to limited laps: ‘We did the [fewest] laps, I think, out of everyone [in the dry]… Not the best thing with that, but in the wet a good amount, [we’re] in a reasonable place.’
The unpredictable weather has left teams scrambling to gather useful data. McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, acknowledged the uncertain situation: ‘Today’s sessions were both affected by rain. It means we haven’t learned very much about tyre behaviour, car setup or even our competitive position.’ Despite this, he remained optimistic, believing they might have gathered valuable information for the rest of the weekend.
McLaren’s other driver, Oscar Piastri, added a positive note by saying their pace on intermediate tires in FP2 looked solid. This suggests that if the rain continues, McLaren could be in a strong position for qualifying.
As the weekend progresses, McLaren will need to stay focused and make the most of the mixed weather conditions to challenge Ferrari, who currently seem to hold the advantage.
With unpredictable weather setting the stage for an eventful Canadian Grand Prix, Norris and the McLaren team are cautiously optimistic yet aware of the challenge posed by Ferrari. Their performance in varying conditions will be crucial as they aim for a strong result.
Source: Planetf1
