McLaren Upgrades Bear Fruits As Lando Norris Tops FP1

Alex Harrington | Aug 23, 2024

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; McLaren driver Lando Norris (GBR) races during qualifying at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Within the challenging bends of Zandvoort's circuit, the first practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix unfolded amid drastically changing weather conditions. Lando Norris of McLaren seized the top spot on the leaderboard, navigating the evolving track with a sterling lap of 1m12.322s. This stunning performance placed him 0.201 seconds ahead of local favorite Max Verstappen and a significant 0.684 seconds faster than Mercedes' veteran Lewis Hamilton.

The session began under a backdrop of grey, rainy skies, setting a cautious pace for the early part of FP1. The weather challenge was marked by bouts of rain and blustery winds which gradually eased, allowing the track to dry and setting the stage for a spirited sprint on slick tires in the final minutes.

Norris’s first-place finish wasn't just a personal victory; it was a testament to McLaren's strategy and upgrades coming into this weekend. Opting for an early switch to slick tires, McLaren capitalized on improving track conditions, a move that favored Norris’s aggressive driving style and saw immediate dividends in lap times. This decision contrasted sharply with Ferrari’s choice to deploy medium tires in a session where most competitors preferred the soft option, affecting their rankings as seen in the differing performances of their drivers.

Verstappen's session, in contrast, was a tale of resilience. After spinning his RB20 during an early lap on intermediates, the Dutch driver made a remarkable recovery. Aided by the track drying up, he surged to finish second.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top three, trailing Norris by a noticeable margin.

Among the noteworthy performances was that of McLaren's newer recruit, Oscar Piastri, who briefly traded the fastest lap times with Norris post their switch to slick tires. Williams' Alex Albon also made headlines with a commendable sixth-place finish, indicating a hint of performance in the Grove car.

Further down the grid, Kevin Magnussen and newcomer Robert Shwartzman, replacing Valtteri Bottas for Sauber, captured attention. Magnussen secured a top-ten finish, reinforcing Haas’ improving form. Shwartzman led the intermediate times earlier in the session but eventually dropped to 16th as track conditions favored the more experienced drivers.

As usual, this is only FP1 so the timesheet is likely not overly indicative of performance.

1 Lando Norris - 1:12.322
2 Max Verstappen - +0.201s
3 Lewis Hamilton - +0.684s
4 Carlos Sainz - +0.752s
5 George Russell - +0.820s
6 Alexander Albon - +0.837s
7 Oscar Piastri - +0.908s
8 Nico Hulkenberg - +1.241s
9 Kevin Magnussen - +1.275s
10 Zhou Guanyu - +1.643s
11 Lance Stroll - +1.829s
12 Sergio Perez - +1.957s
13 Charles Leclerc - +1.984s
14 Yuki Tsunoda - +2.096s
15 Fernando Alonso - +2.145s
16 Robert Shwartzman - +2.336s
17Logan Sargeant - +3.283s
18 Esteban Ocon - +3.474s
19 Daniel Ricciardo - +3.909s
20 Pierre Gasly - +9.714s