Key Highlights
- McLaren struggled for grip during FP1 at the Malaysian round, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finishing 11th and 12th.
- Norris improved to third in FP2, while Piastri recorded the sixth-fastest time as McLaren recovered ground.
- Oscar Piastri believes McLaren may be a “tiny step behind” Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari ahead of qualifying.
McLaren Recover After Difficult FP1 at Malaysian Grand Prix
McLaren identified unexpectedly low grip and a rough track surface as key factors behind its difficult start to the first day of track action at the Malaysian Grand Prix. The team’s performance improved significantly in FP2, but Oscar Piastri suggested McLaren remained marginally behind the leading contenders ahead of qualifying.
Piastri and Lando Norris ended FP1 in 11th and 12th respectively. McLaren responded in the second practice session, with Norris rising to third on the timesheets and Piastri posting the sixth-fastest lap of the hour. The change in performance indicated that the Woking-based team had made progress with its car setup between the two sessions.
Reflecting on Friday’s running, Piastri said McLaren had faced substantial difficulties in the opening practice session before finding a more competitive direction in FP2.
“We definitely looked better in FP2 than FP1,” the Australian explained. “FP1 we were struggling a lot, to be honest. Things seemed a bit more positive [in FP2].“Obviously it was a bit of an interesting session because everyone was expecting rain and then we didn’t get it, so I think the tyre choices and things like that were a little bit different to normal, but we seemed reasonable. I don’t know what the long run pace was like really, but no, interesting first day.”
Oscar Piastri Sees Close Qualifying Battle
With Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren all showing competitive pace at different points during Friday’s sessions, Piastri expects qualifying to be closely contested. He said the leading four teams appeared to be separated by only a small margin, while acknowledging that Red Bull had looked particularly strong across the day.
“I think it looks pretty, pretty close amongst the top four teams,” the 25-year-old said. “I think Red Bull have looked very strong through the day. I think Mercedes as well have looked strong at points and obviously Ferrari were pretty good then.
“So everyone’s kind of had their turn being reasonably competitive. I think we’re maybe a tiny step behind, but we made a lot of progress from FP1. So hopefully we can keep that trend going and we’ll see where we end up.”
Piastri’s assessment leaves McLaren facing a competitive but uncertain qualifying session. The team’s improvement from FP1 to FP2 offered encouragement, although the Australian said McLaren still needed to maintain that progress before determining its position against Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.
Randy Singh Explains McLaren’s Trackside Challenge
McLaren Senior Racing Director Randy Singh also attributed the team’s initial struggles to conditions that differed from its expectations. Singh said the circuit offered less grip and more surface roughness than McLaren had anticipated, making it difficult to place the car in its optimal operating window during FP1.
“The track’s a lot lower grip than we expected coming here, a lot rougher as well, so that caught us a little bit by surprise,” he explained.
“I think we struggled getting the car in a good window in FP1, but a lot of good work at the track, and at the factory, in FP2. I think the car is in a much better place.”
Singh was asked whether McLaren could challenge for pole position on Saturday. He avoided making a prediction, stressing that the team remained focused on maximising its current package and still had performance to extract from the car.
“I think we’re just focused on doing the best we can with the package that we have and I think we’ve still got lots of potential to try and exploit, a lot of work left to do, so very hard to say at this stage.”
Why This Matters
McLaren’s recovery between FP1 and FP2 keeps the team within reach of the leading group, but the performance gap remains difficult to assess because the four front-running teams each showed strength at different points. The low-grip and rough-track conditions also created an additional setup challenge, making the work completed between Friday’s sessions especially important for qualifying preparation.
The team’s prospects will depend on whether McLaren can preserve its FP2 improvement, extract further performance from the car and manage the conditions more effectively on Saturday. Piastri and Norris will therefore enter qualifying with evidence of progress, but without certainty that McLaren has closed the gap to Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did McLaren perform in FP1 and FP2?
Oscar Piastri finished FP1 in 11th and Lando Norris in 12th. In FP2, Norris improved to third while Piastri recorded the sixth-fastest time.
What caused McLaren’s difficult start?
Randy Singh said the track had significantly less grip and was rougher than McLaren expected, making it difficult to get the car into a strong operating window during FP1.
Does McLaren expect to fight for pole position?
McLaren has not made a firm prediction. Randy Singh said the team was focused on maximising its current package and still had considerable potential to exploit before qualifying.
