Lando Norris to rely on Oscar Piastri information in Madrid 'backfoot' recovery

Lando Norris has explained how he will be relying on Oscar Piastri's data to aid his understanding after losing his second practice session at the Spanish GP. 

Early in FP2 at the Madring, Norris pulled into the pits and reported that the gearbox on his MCL40 machine had gone into a "false neutral" and that it was "gone."

McLaren attempted to change the gearbox during the session, but eventually ran out of time, meaning Norris has lost one-third of his three hours of practice at the new circuit. 

Meanwhile, Piastri completed 24 laps in FP2 to place seventh, with the world champion explaining how he would be relying on the Australian's data to aid his own understanding. 

"A tricky day, it was good to get the laps in during the morning, where we identified a few changes we needed to make to the car, but ultimately we didn't get the chance to make any progress in FP2 due to a gearbox issue," Norris said.

"Whenever you come to a new circuit, track time is very important, so we're clearly on the back foot having missed FP2. 

"We'll work hard overnight looking at the data from FP1, from Oscar's car and the teams around us, and make sure we get as much learning as we can in FP3. 

"Otherwise, it was good to get the first laps done here in Madrid; it's an interesting circuit, and I'm looking forward to getting some more laps in ahead of qualifying."

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Piastri's early warning

As for Piastri, he felt that it was initially tricky to master the Madring, but that a rhythm was possible, although he warned of tyre graining as a potential factor during the race. 

"Overall, a solid day. Lots of learning and driving on a new track always makes things a bit tougher to get on top of," he said.

"Once you settle into a rhythm, it’s a pretty enjoyable one to drive, but tyre management is going to be a tough one, as we have a lot of graining.

"I felt like we got a bit closer in FP2, which was a positive step, but we're still lacking pace, so we'll be working hard to try and find more time.

"The main challenge is extracting the maximum performance from the car on a street circuit like this. 

"Hopefully we can find more consistency and unlock the ability to get that extra time out of the car. We’ll see what we can do."