Lando Norris — P6
Let's start with Lando. P6 in FP1. Lando finished around eight tenths behind George Russell's fastest time. Obviously, I would've loved to see Lando immediately fighting inside the top three, but I'm not too worried about P6 yet. This is the first Formula 1 weekend at Madring, and everyone is still learning the circuit. FP1 isn't just about setting the fastest lap either. McLaren will have been gathering data, experimenting with the setup and trying to understand how the car behaves around this new track. The positive? Lando was the quicker of the two McLarens. He's got a solid starting point to build from.
Can Lando Still Fight at the Front?
Absolutely but McLaren need to find some performance. Mercedes started the weekend very strongly, with George Russell P1 and Kimi Antonelli P2. Ferrari were also right there with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. If Lando wants to challenge that group in qualifying, McLaren need to close the gap. Eight tenths might sound like a lot, but it's important not to read too much into a single FP1 session. Different fuel loads, run plans and setups can make Friday practice difficult to judge. So I'm definitely not giving up on Lando fighting towards the front.
Oscar Piastri — P8
Then we've got Oscar. P8 isn't exactly where we'd expect to see Piastri, especially given the pace we've seen from McLaren at other races. He finished just over a second away from Russell's fastest lap. Oscar was also behind Arvid Lindblad, who put in an impressive performance to split the two McLarens in P7. but just like with Lando, I'm not panicking. Oscar now has plenty of information to work with. McLaren can look at the data from both cars and work out where they're losing time. The question is how much performance they can find before qualifying.
Lando vs Oscar
After FP1, it's advantage Lando.
P6 — Lando Norris
P8 — Oscar Piastri
There's only a couple of positions between them, and I don't think we've seen everything the McLaren has to offer yet. As the weekend progresses, I'm expecting the battle between Lando and Oscar to get much closer. When both drivers are comfortable with the car, there normally isn't much separating them. That could make qualifying very interesting.
What Do McLaren Need to Improve?
For me, McLaren's biggest job is finding out exactly where they're losing time compared with Mercedes and Ferrari. Is it the slower corners? Traction? Tyre preparation? The setup? Or were McLaren simply running a different Friday programme? That's what the engineers will now be analysing and this is exactly what practice is for. It's much better to discover what needs improving now than when the clock starts ticking in Q1!
Have My Papaya Boys Predictions Changed?
Not yet. I'm still confident that McLaren can improve as the weekend develops. However, I'm probably slightly more cautious after FP1 than I was before the cars hit the track. Mercedes look quick. Ferrari look quick and Max Verstappen is still hanging around waiting for his opportunity. Getting onto the podium could therefore be more difficult than we originally expected but there's still a long way to go. One good setup change can completely transform a Formula 1 weekend.
What I Want to See From the Papaya Boys
For Lando, I want to see him move closer to the top three. He doesn't necessarily have to top the timing screens, but that gap to Mercedes needs to come down. For Oscar, I'd like to see him close the gap to Lando and start pushing towards the top five. If we start seeing the McLarens around P3, P4 and P5, I'll feel much more confident about their chances. Because once qualifying begins… That's when it really matters.
On the Pitwall Verdict
My verdict after FP1? Not perfect — but there's no need to panic.
Lando Norris — P6
Oscar Piastri — P8
McLaren aren't at the front yet, and Mercedes have certainly started the Madrid weekend strongly but this is only the beginning. There's still time for Lando and Oscar to find more performance and get those Papaya cars fighting further up the timing screens. So I'm keeping the faith in the Papaya boys! What did you think of their FP1 performance? Were you happy with Lando's P6? Are you worried about Oscar in P8? And most importantly…
Where do you think Lando and Oscar will qualify?
Lights out. More to talk about.
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