McLaren searches for consistent pace after difficult Friday in Austin

McLaren ended the opening day of the United States Grand Prix with more questions than its early running had suggested. Lando Norris finished third in FP1 but slipped to seventh in the second session, immediately ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri. As Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull occupied the leading positions, McLaren was left examining the reasons for its deficit.

Consistency is the central issue. Norris indicated that the car has pace, but extracting it lap after lap has proved difficult. Piastri highlighted a lack of grip. Their assessments point towards set-up work and a better use of the available potential, rather than a conclusion that Friday’s classification defines McLaren’s prospects for the entire weekend.

The team favours small, targeted adjustments over a radical change of direction. Rob Marshall offered a more positive assessment of the longer runs and said the minor updates brought to Austin were delivering the expected benefits. He also believes the gap between the leading teams is smaller than the FP2 order suggests.

The FIA’s session report highlights different programmes during race preparation: Norris ran the hard tyres, while Piastri used the softs. That provides useful context when comparing their pace. Individual stints need to be assessed against the compound being used and the purpose of the run.

In competitive terms, qualifying presents the most immediate risk. In a closely matched field, even a car with sound race pace can become trapped in traffic if its drivers cannot assemble a clean flying lap. Improving confidence in the car is therefore as valuable as finding additional grip.

Friday does not rule McLaren out of the contest, but it gives the team a specific task. Its available speed must become accessible and repeatable before qualifying turns temporary handling difficulties into a disadvantage on the starting grid.