P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lando Norris admitted that his F1 car “feels dreadful” despite McLaren showing some incredible pace during Bahrain free practice.
McLaren showed strong performance in Bahrain on Friday, with Norris leading in FP1 and both Norris and Piastri topping FP2. Despite the impressive show, Norris admitted to feeling negative and struggling with car adaptation. He emphasized the difficulty of Bahrain conditions and the challenge posed by extreme temperatures and wind affecting tires. Norris believed McLaren’s advantage might not be accurately reflected due to competitors not pushing their limits during the practice sessions. Piastri, after leading FP2, expressed happiness while acknowledging the gap to rivals and predicting a tighter race on Saturday. McLaren’s strength in tire degradation could play a crucial role in the races ahead, highlighting the importance of a good race car along with a strong qualifying performance. Overall, both drivers remain optimistic about McLaren’s performance in the upcoming Grand Prix.