Lando Norris, the early championship favorite, debunked media speculation that McLaren boasts the fastest car this year, based on pre-season testing lap times. Norris, who was caught in a relatively dynamic exchange with the press at Albert Park, expressed surprise at the hasty conclusions drawn by many. He confidently predicted that Ferrari would surprise many with its speed in Melbourne.
This prediction seemed to hold true for a while. Friday practice lap times, both on low and high fuel, suggested that Ferrari was indeed hot on McLaren’s heels, with Mercedes not far behind. Red Bull had an inconsistent run but managed to improve in FP3. As Q1 concluded, it looked like Norris’ foresight would be validated. The top 17 cars, representing nine of the ten teams, were separated by a mere 0.662s. The only team that didn’t keep up was Haas, which encountered difficulties on Ollie Bearman’s side.
Norris’ assertion gained more credibility as Q2 ended and the first runs of Q3 wrapped up. Although McLaren was still favored for pole position, the margin wasn’t significant. Norris then led a front-row lock-out by almost 0.4s from the first non-McLaren car, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, and over 0.7s to the lead Ferrari, which was more reminiscent of pre-season predictions than post-practice expectations.
Norris expressed his expectation for more from Ferrari, stating that he found their performance surprising given their comparable speed throughout the weekend. He postulated that their underperformance in qualifying could be due to a failure to put together a good lap or struggles with the car.
The final lineup of Verstappen and George Russell in the second row, along with Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon securing fifth and sixth places, generated excitement. However, seeing Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in seventh and eighth respectively was unexpected.
Charles Leclerc echoed Norris’ sentiments, suggesting that the qualifying round didn’t provide an accurate representation of Ferrari’s potential. He pointed out that as they pushed the car harder, they encountered more inconsistency, leading to a loss of pace throughout the qualifying round. Despite this, he remained hopeful, citing the long season ahead and the potential of the car.
Hamilton, the new addition, admitted to a slower process of building confidence in the car, highlighted by his lower speeds throughout the weekend. Despite this, he relished the opportunity to overcome the challenges ahead.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, while surprised by the gap between McLaren and Ferrari, cautioned against taking it at face value. He reiterated that Ferrari’s potential is higher than what they were able to display in the qualifying rounds and still viewed them as main contenders for the season.
With Verstappen positioned directly behind the two McLarens and the possibility of a wet race, McLaren’s strong start could be disrupted. Stella acknowledged Verstappen’s prowess in wet conditions and identified him as a significant threat despite McLaren’s good result in the qualifying round.
In conclusion, the first competitive session of the season did little to absolve McLaren of its favorite’s tag. However, with Ferrari’s potential and Verstappen’s skill in wet conditions, the season promises to be as unpredictable as it is thrilling.
