Norris encouraged by McLaren’s pace-setting start in Austria

McLaren made a strong statement during Friday practice for the Austrian Grand Prix, with Lando Norris leading a dominant one-two finish in FP2, ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris, who sat out FP1 for Alex Dunne, quickly found pace, setting a time of 1m 04.580s, 0.157s quicker than Piastri. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was over three-tenths behind, a significant gap on this short circuit. Both Norris and Piastri expressed satisfaction with the car's feeling and recent upgrades, noting improvements from FP1. However, they anticipate rivals, particularly Verstappen, to close the gap significantly on Saturday, predicting a "tight" battle for pole position. McLaren's strong start suggests potential, but they remain cautious about the weekend's progression.