Lando Norris — No Time
Let's start with the biggest McLaren story from FP2. Lando Norris didn't set a time. After finishing P6 in FP1, I was looking forward to seeing whether Lando could close the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari. Instead, he spent the session in the garage while McLaren carried out a gearbox change. That's frustrating at any race weekend. At a completely new circuit? It's an even bigger problem. Every lap around Madring gives the drivers more information about the braking points, tyres, bumps and limits of the circuit. Lando has now missed an entire session of that valuable running.
Should We Be Worried About Lando?
I'm definitely a little more concerned than I was after FP1 but am I panicking? No. Lando already completed laps during FP1 and finished P6, so he's not going into Saturday completely blind. The problem is that FP3 has now become incredibly important. Lando needs a clean session. For me, he shouldn't immediately worry about topping the timing screens. The priority should be getting laps on the board, rebuilding his confidence and getting comfortable with the car. Then he can start pushing. If he gets a clean FP3, I still think he can recover.
Oscar Piastri — P7
While Lando was stuck in the garage, Oscar Piastri was doing the important work out on track. Oscar finished FP2 in P7. That's a small improvement from his P8 result in FP1. More importantly, Oscar has now completed both Friday practice sessions and gathered plenty of information around Madring. With Lando missing FP2, Oscar's data becomes even more valuable. McLaren can use what they've learned from his car to help both drivers prepare for Saturday.
Is P7 Good Enough?
It's progress, but I still want to see more. McLaren haven't quite broken into that leading group yet. Mercedes have looked incredibly strong, Ferrari are right there and Max Verstappen remains another threat. Oscar needs to start moving closer to them. The encouraging part is that he was closer to the fastest time than he had been during FP1. That suggests McLaren are beginning to make progress. Now they need another step forward.
Oscar Is Moving in the Right Direction
Oscar's Friday results look like this:
FP1 — P8
FP2 — P7
It's only one position, but practice isn't purely about the final standings. Oscar has gained valuable experience throughout Friday. He's learning the circuit. He's understanding the tyres and he's giving McLaren plenty of data to analyse. That could become particularly important heading into qualifying.
Lando vs Oscar Just Got Interesting
Normally we'd be comparing Lando and Oscar's lap times after FP2. This time, we can't. Lando didn't set one. That means Oscar goes into Saturday with more recent track experience than his teammate. Lando now needs to catch up quickly and that gives us a really interesting storyline for FP3. Can Lando immediately get back onto Oscar's pace? Or will Oscar's extra track time give him the advantage heading into qualifying?
McLaren Have Work to Do
Friday hasn't exactly gone perfectly for McLaren. Their results so far are:
FP1 — Lando P6, Oscar P8
FP2 — Oscar P7, Lando no time
Compare that with Mercedes topping both Friday sessions, and it's clear there's work to do. McLaren's engineers now have a busy night ahead. They need to analyse Oscar's FP2 data, understand where they're losing time and make sure Lando has a car he's comfortable with as soon as FP3 begins. Because once Saturday arrives, things start getting serious.
Have My Papaya Boys Predictions Changed?
After FP1, I wasn't ready to change my predictions. After FP2? I'm definitely more cautious. Oscar hasn't shown top-three pace yet, while Lando has lost an entire practice session. Meanwhile, Mercedes and Ferrari have continued to look strong. So I'm less confident about McLaren challenging for pole than I was before the weekend began but I'm definitely not writing them off. There's still FP3 to come and we've seen plenty of Formula 1 weekends where a team struggles on Friday before suddenly finding performance on Saturday.
What I Want to See in FP3
For Lando, the number one target is simple: Laps. Lots of them. Once he's comfortable, I'd like to see him start moving towards the top five. If Lando can get somewhere around P3, P4 or P5, I'll feel much more confident heading into qualifying. For Oscar? It's time to take another step.
FP1 — P8
FP2 — P7
Can he break into the top five in FP3? That's what I'd like to see.
On the Pitwall Verdict
Overall, FP2 was a mixed session for the Papaya boys.
Oscar Piastri — P7
Lando Norris — No time
Oscar continues to make progress and has gathered plenty of important data. For Lando, missing an entire practice session is frustrating — but his weekend certainly isn't over. FP3 is now going to be huge. Can Oscar break into the top five? Can Lando bounce back after missing FP2? and can McLaren finally put themselves into the fight with Mercedes and Ferrari? Saturday is going to tell us a lot. Let me know what you think! Are you worried about Lando after missing FP2? Can Oscar challenge the front runners? and where do you think the Papaya boys will qualify?
Lights out. More to talk about. 🏁
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