Formula 1 - Surprised by Ferrari & not strong enough: McLaren alarmed by Silverstone training

Just a week ago, McLaren and especially Lando Norris were completely unbeatable, but the balance of power in Formula 1 can change quickly. After the second practice session at Silverstone, the championship leaders are alarmed by the resurgent Ferraris. Despite setting the fastest time, Norris doesn't believe it's enough at the moment, even though McLaren delivered a major update at Silverstone.

"It was a bit of a surprise, yes," admits Oscar Piastri , referring to Ferrari. The championship leader had to settle for a paltry fourth place, 0.470 seconds behind Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. He was 0.169 seconds behind third-placed Hamilton. "They looked good, both in qualifying trim and in the long runs. I think they're in the fight." The practice analysis confirms similar sentiments:

"I mean, that was a strong lap on the soft," Norris said, assessing his fastest time. "Generally speaking , the Ferraris are very fast . And they will be tomorrow as well. We have some work to do there; it looked a bit too good today. Ferrari always catches up by the third practice session, like last weekend."

"I'm happy with today, but it's nothing we can be too proud of," warns Norris. "It's still a bit tricky out there. It wasn't as smooth as I'd like. It was a strong lap for FP2, but it's not strong enough right now."

Now the question arises regarding the underbody. While Ferrari already introduced an update a week ago, McLaren had one in store for Silverstone . This doesn't necessarily have to translate into performance on the first Friday. First, the team needs to gather data, check the wind tunnel figures, and determine whether the new parts require changes to the basic setup.

"We were able to gather important data across our test cars and establish a reasonable baseline in terms of performance despite the difficult conditions," confirms team principal Andrea Stella . At Silverstone, the wind, in particular, makes assessment difficult. It's gusty and unpredictable. If you catch it well, it can help you achieve a really good lap. Or a really bad one if you're unlucky.

This also makes it more difficult to evaluate an update after the first day. McLaren will now spend the night evaluating the data. It cannot be completely ruled out that the team will make a delayed update-related jump either tomorrow or during the two remaining races before the summer break in Spa and Budapest.

Regardless, Oscar Piastri desperately needs pace after another poor Friday. At almost five-tenths, the gap to Norris is far too large. "The pace is there; if I get a few things right, we can be very competitive," Piastri reassured. On one lap, his car seemed to be understeering too much: "FP2 was a bit chaotic, but the potential is there. The long runs also looked solid."

Meanwhile, Norris has a bit of time to think about his own grandstand this evening. The "Lando Stand," the Norris-themed grandstand, will be at Silverstone for the first time in 2025. With Norris' signature neon yellow, it's hard to miss: "Every lap, I feel compelled to look! But it's also great to see it. If it distracts me, it distracts others too!"

Red Bull's McLaren rivals aren't to be underestimated at Silverstone either – but they're sometimes having a tougher time, even than Ferrari. You can read why here: