Norris details McLaren concerns despite pace-setting time

Lando Norris feels he is lacking "rhythm" and "comfort" in his McLaren F1 car, despite setting the pace at Spa on Friday. 

In Free Practice 2, Norris topped the times, leading a McLaren one-two and was 0.217s faster than Red Bull's Max Verstappen in third place, with the Dutchman set to take a grid penalty for an engine change.

McLaren's MCL38 is believed to be the fastest car in F1 at present, with the team looking to hunt down Red Bull and Verstappen in their respective championship, with the respective leads 61 and 76 points.

However, despite the encouraging pace at Spa on Friday, Norris countered expectations, explaining how he was struggling.

"It is good, but it is tough and Red Bull is very quick at the minute, so it is tricky, but I just don't feel very comfortable with the car," Norris explained.

"Hopefully, I just wake up [on Saturday], and am more comfortable with it, but we are trying to improve a few things. 

"It looks good on the time-sheets, but I've not felt super comfortable in just going out and doing it, so hopefully, I can just get into a bit more of a rhythm and fit a bit better.

"We did a good job before the weekend, so we're prepared well, and we put a good set-up on the car and it is working, but just from my side, actually feeling I could just go an nail it, I am not quite there yet."

Higher downforce for McLaren

Heavy rain is expected at Spa for final practice and qualifying, with the teams potentially putting higher downforce settings on their cars.

This would help in the sector second of the anticipated dry race on Sunday, but the bigger wings would harm the straight line speed needed in sectors one and third. 

But it is a route Norris is open to exploring.

"[I don't have any ideas] at the minute, as I got out of the car like two seconds ago," he said.

"We're always able to come into a circuit now and be [close to the pace] straightaway, but it is not like you change the whole car overnight anymore.

"I think [higher downforce] is maybe a direction to go, but I don't know yet, so I will sit down with the guys and we will talk about it."