McLaren remain cautious in Monaco, but know where they need to improve

20:59, 23 May

byKada Sarkozi

McLaren seem to have a new rival this weekend in Ferrari. Charles Leclerc topped both free practice sessions, even as the Woking-based team remained close to the front. Here is how the team reacted to the Friday in Monaco.

Piastri experiences a mixed Friday, Norris feeling comfortable so far

Talking to F1 TV, Oscar Piastri mentioned he had mixed feelings the two Friday sessions. The Australian driver finished marginally behind Charles Leclerc, however, he caused a red flag after he ended up in the wall in Turn 1.

About the first day, Lando Norris said: "It’s been a reasonable Friday. I felt comfortable from the beginning, butwe need to improve in some areas which I’m positive we can work on as ateam. A solid start to the weekend.”

Team principal Andrea Stella was satisfied with his team's performance on Friday, as he expected McLaren's rivals to have good pace in the Principality.

"It’s been a productive first day of practice here in Monaco. As always, this iconic circuit provides a unique challenge. We thought coming into the weekend that our competitors would be quick, and the first two practice sessions have reinforced that belief," he began.

"However, we’ve gathered important data and have a good understanding of what we need to do to improve ahead of an important qualifying session tomorrow."

About Piastri's incident, the Italian added: "My thanks also go to the team for their quick turnaround after Oscar’s small moment into Turn 1."

This article was written in collaboration with Hidde Korte