Rival Formula 1 teams are good at raising expectations for each other, especially when there is a car that is advantageous.
After Red Bull was Red Bull for a long time, McLaren has become that team for the past six months. And this year is likely to stand out as early as the preseason Test, and certainly stand out.
As that test took place at the Bahrain International Circuit, the powerful February show raised expectations for McLaren’s victory at the same venue this weekend. As McLaren broke through all three, it was rare to dispel that impression in practice sessions.
But the beauty of Bahrain is how few representatives are running there, as FP1 and FP3 occur at very high temperatures compared to floodlight track time for qualifying and the race itself. The margin that McLarens had in FP3 was not converted to the same gap in qualifying, but there was an advantage over Lando Norris from Oscar Piastri.
“I’m very happy,” the Australian said after securing his second pole position in three races. “I think the cars were in good places all weekend. Maybe not FP1, but I don’t think anyone’s car was much better on the FP1.
“Ever since then I have felt very comfortable. This morning, given the conditions of the truck, it was a pretty solid performance and the cars were very similar this afternoon, so I am very pleased with the work we did. I am proud of the job. I end. It clearly feels really good to put in a lot of good wraps when you need it and get a pole.
“I think the performance in FP3 was even a mystery to us, and we all knew that everyone would get closer. It was up and down for everyone. One session is like Charles challenging us. And George.
“It seemed like everyone was peaking at a different time. A tenth and a half were a little closer than I expected this morning, so I had to be on my toes.”
After FP3 performance, the McLaren team had a face of impressing when Piastry ruled out Norris, who had cancelled the first qualifying simulation after an error, in 0.6 seconds. Piastri’s advancement, especially on a lap, has not been overlooked, and there has been a growing sense that Norris has been focusing more on Barstappen in recent months, and now he has to pay more attention to his teammates.
While Piastri delivers on Saturday, it was Norris who didn’t handle the phirological heat that Australians put while the car offered such a possibility.
“To be honest, it was just one lap. I was away from all laps this weekend. “There are no major complaints – the car is amazing. The car is as good as the whole season. It’s strong. I was off the whole weekend. I don’t know why. I’m just getting on track right away. I need a big reset or something.
“I can’t complain because Oscar does a great job. There’s no excuse for not being able to drive a car. It’s my job to drive a hard car, even if it’s easy.
“I’m not comfortable. I don’t drive the way I want, but that’s not an excuse. The job of a driver is to drive a given car. I can’t drive this car fast enough.”
So far, pressure has been put under pressure from McLaren’s rivals, but Norris is often tough on himself, but he will add a little more to his shoulders by talking about how good his machine is.
“I just don’t know how to approach it. I can’t understand it,” he admitted. “Every time I try something, it’s good for one session. And the wind changes, so it’s a mistake for the next session. It’s not too fast when it can’t flow in the car and doesn’t flow.
“I have to work on myself. I can’t follow the team. The car is the best on a long way. But obviously, I’m not clicking in that moment.”
Norris’ claims are that he is not concerned about Piastri’s performance in the context of the driver’s championship, but similar comments were made when asked about the occasional Verstappen and title photos last year. Norris dismissed it, but he later admitted how he was falling into growing momentum, making his turnaround particularly intense in Brazil.
“I couldn’t care much. Like I said, I care about myself, I don’t care what other people do,” he said. “I always know Oscar’s good. He’s quick and he does the job he can accomplish with the cars we have. So, yeah, well done to him. But I’m more worried about my performance than the others.
Last year, Norris began to consistently offer doubt as he began to consistently win races and gain normal pole positions, but at this point in the season he is clearly not confident. Sunday offers him the opportunity to respond again, but now for his teammates who are able to put together a complete Championship Challenge.