McLarenNorris held onto P3 off the line in the Sprint, and started to drop back from the two Mercedes cars up front. But he was there to pick up the pieces when they clashed, getting past Antonelli and then pushing Russell surprisingly hard. He could not find a way through despite being less than half a second back at times, and had to settle for second. Piastri lost out to Hamilton at the start, but bided his time and got back past the Ferrari late on.
Come Qualifying, both were in the mix and much like yesterday, Piastri pushed his team mate very, very close. They were separated by 0.019s in Sprint Qualifying and 0.052s today, but it was Norris who had the edge. And interestingly, McLaren appear to have closed the gap to Mercedes slightly, which bodes well heading into tomorrow.
Lando Norris, Sprint: 2nd, Qualifying: 3rd, 1:12.729
“We can feel pretty good about today’s results. Firstly, to finish P2 in the Sprint is a great achievement and a credit to the whole team for executing a good strategy and maximising our opportunities. We put ourselves in the right place to capitalise when the guys ahead were battling, and we came away with some very valuable points. We did a very good job with the package we have, but we have to be realistic about where we are. Without the two Mercedes fighting ahead of us, this result wouldn’t have been possible, so we’ll keep working and try to put ourselves in a position to battle with them on pure pace.
“In Qualifying, we we’re talking tiny margins today, half a tenth here or there was the difference between positions. We needed to be perfect today to beat the Mercedes, and it was very tricky to do that. I lost a bit of time on my final run when a car went off ahead, I picked up dirt on the tyres and then subsequently missed the slipstream down the back straight. But anyway, we’re close to the cars in front, closer than we expected without our full upgrade package, so as a team we can be very satisfied with today.
“Tomorrow will be interesting, on a cold, low speed street track it’s incredibly hard to build tyre temperature, and if it’s wet it will be chaotic, but that also means opportunities. On pure pace Mercedes still have the edge, especially over a race stint, but if conditions mix things up, we’ll be ready to fight and take any chances that come our way. We’ve made smart setup tweaks, the car’s consistent, and if we execute well there’s a lot to play for.”
Oscar Piastri, Sprint: 4th, Qualifying: 4th, 1:12.781
“Overall, a decent day. In the Sprint, it was a positive result for the team. With the change in wind from yesterday, the car didn’t quite feel like it did in Sprint Quali. However, we were able to get Lewis at the end and gain back the spot we lost at the start.
“I’m happy with Qualifying. The car was a step forward from the Sprint this morning, so that was positive. The session was a little trickier, we were struggling in Sector 1 and it was more difficult to get the tyres into the right window with the track and air temperature being quite low, and the harder nature of them.
“We are closer to Mercedes and were able to put some pressure on them, but unfortunately, it was just not quite enough. The rain tomorrow can mix things up, so it will be an opportunity for us all – let’s see what we can do.”
Andrea Stella, Team Principal
“Overall, it has been a positive day for the team. We are very encouraged by the trend we’ve seen this weekend, where we are closing the gap to Mercedes and unlocking more performance from the MCL40. Securing a strong result in the Sprint and closing the gap to under two-tenths in Qualifying confirms we are moving in the right direction.
“In the Sprint, a new set of Mediums enabled us to fight for longer with Mercedes, culminating into the P2 and P4 finish, after Oscar battled well with Hamilton’s Ferrari. In Qualifying, both Lando and Oscar performed well, but we must investigate why we lose time in the straights compared to our closest competitor.
“Overall, the car is performing better in the corners, which has given both Lando and Oscar the confidence to really push. I must commend the entire team for their relentless efforts with the upgrades and the trackside group for optimising the package we have.
“Looking ahead to the race on Sunday, we are realistic. In dry conditions, Mercedes likely has the edge, but we have put ourselves in a strong position. Canada is always an eventful race, and with the potential for mixed weather, anything is possible. We haven’t had much wet running this season, which adds an unknown element, but if it rains opportunities will arise, and we will be there to give it our absolute best and challenge for the win.”
