Lando Norris may have thrilled his home crowd by going fastest during Friday practice for the 2025 F1 British GP, but the McLaren driver insists there is “nothing to be too proud about just yet.”
Setting a 1:25.816 on the soft compound tyre in FP2, Norris finished the day 0.222 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc and 0.301 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton, both representing Ferrari. However, Norris downplayed the significance of his pace-setting performance, stressing that the Scuderia appeared strong throughout both sessions.
“I mean, the soft was a very strong lap. But me being me, I think also just in general, the Ferraris have been very, very quick today – and they shall be tomorrow,” Norris said.
“I think we have a bit of work to do, to be honest. It looked maybe a bit too good today. Like always, Ferrari catch up into FP3, like they did last weekend [in Austria]. I would say pleased with today, but nothing to be too proud about just yet.”
Despite ending the day on top, Norris remains wary of Ferrari’s tendency to find extra pace ahead of Qualifying, a pattern McLaren witnessed firsthand at the Red Bull Ring.
Pole position in sight for the home favourite
While Norris remains cautious about expectations, his objective for Saturday is clear: deliver a pole position in front of his home fans at Silverstone. The 25-year-old described the unique feeling of seeing the bright yellow grandstand named in his honour on every lap, using the moment as added motivation.
“That is my target! I am working on it,” he said, smiling.
He continued, “I would look at it [the stand] every lap, every single lap. I mean, it is hard to miss! Every lap I am forced to look at it, but it is also just a great thing to see. If it is distracting me, it is distracting others, so it is working perfectly!”
Norris remains focused on fine-tuning McLaren’s one-lap pace, knowing that delivering under pressure in front of the British crowd could be a defining moment in his 2024 campaign.
Piastri keeps calm despite rough soft-tyre run
Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, ended Friday at the 2025 F1 British GP 0.470 seconds off his McLaren team mate’s benchmark. The Australian remained upbeat about McLaren’s performance but acknowledged that his qualifying simulation was compromised.
“A good first day, I think,” Piastri noted. “Ferrari have looked very competitive. I think we looked alright. In FP2, the soft tyre was a little bit messy for me. I think the potential is definitely there and the long runs looked pretty solid as well.”
Piastri was slightly surprised by Ferrari’s competitiveness but believes they are firmly in the mix at Silverstone.
“It was a bit of a surprise, yes. They looked good. Both in the Qualifying runs and the longer runs as well, so I think they are in the fight this weekend, which is interesting to see.”
Despite a less-than-perfect flying lap, Piastri is staying relaxed ahead of Saturday’s action. He expects to be in contention once he pieces together a clean run.
“I think if I can piece things together it will be very competitive. [It was] just not a great lap and with these tyres around here you pretty much get one shot, so my second attempt was pretty decent considering the tyres. I am pretty relaxed.”
A three-way fight shaping up
McLaren’s early pace suggests they remain firmly in the hunt for pole, but both Norris and Piastri are well aware of the looming Ferrari threat. With Leclerc and Hamilton looking sharp in the red cars, Saturday’s Qualifying session could come down to fine margins.
If Friday’s long-run pace translates into race-day performance, McLaren may also have the tools to challenge for victory at the 2025 F1 British GP. However, as both drivers note, the final word will only come after a clean Qualifying session—something Norris in particular is aiming to master in front of his home crowd.
