Lando Norris has conceded the timesheets made things “look better than it is” as he headed a McLaren 1-2 in second practice at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
McLaren sustained a productive opening outing at the Yas Marina Circuit as Norris was second in FP1 and then improved upon that to go quickest in second practice.
Norris led the times over team-mate Oscar Piastri, who sat out the first session, as McLaren boasted a huge four-tenth advantage over Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg in third.
But while McLaren stole a march in the sole practice hour run in representative conditions, Norris has argued that the team’s rivals are closer than the times indicated.
“It was a good day,” Norris said. “Car has been feeling good the whole day, continued our pace out of Qatar.
“Feels strong and we have some things to improve on in both low and high fuel, probably more so the high fuel.
“Certainly probably looks better than it is; I don’t think the others turned up their engines yet.
“So it might look glorious for now, but I think we’ve still got a tough fight tomorrow.”
Norris chasing McLaren improvement
Norris has expressed that he is aiming to unearth incremental gains overnight to ensure that McLaren remains a step ahead when its opponents turn up their engines.
The Woking-based squad can wrap up a coveted Constructors’ Championship this weekend should it preserve its current 21-point advantage over nearest rival Ferrari.
Asked to detail what improvements he was hoping to unearth, Norris replied: “Nothing huge. It’s small things.
“It’s trying to find the balance of going quicker but saving the tyres, especially in the longer run stuff.
“Where can you push more and where do you need to save?
“How can you save the tyres more with driving, with things I can change on my steering wheel and the underlying balance of the car?
“So trying to find the right compromise is the main thing.”
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