Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have expressed the same concern ahead of the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The McLaren pair are leading both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, making it effectively a two-horse race for the Formula One title. But they don’t have the usual confidence of a race win at Silverstone.
Both Norris and Piastri have the same worry ahead of the race, which could prevent Norris from claiming his first win at his home Grand Prix.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are worried about Ferrari’s pace at Silverstone
Norris and Piastri have both said that they are looking over their shoulders at Ferrari, who showed surprising pace at Friday’s practice session.
In his post-practice media session, Norris said, “The Ferraris have been very, very quick today, and they shall be tomorrow. I think we have a bit of work to do today. Ferrari always catch up into FP3 as they did last weekend, so we have nothing to be too proud of yet.”
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton topped the first practice session to make a statement to the grid, but it was Norris who finished the day on top in FP2 in response.
Norris said he’d trade every win for Silverstone in the build-up to the race. He’s desperate for a home win, but it seems it’s not just his teammate that he has to look out for this weekend.
Piastri noted similar concerns about Ferrari’s “surprising” pace. He said, “Ferrari have looked very competitive.”
He continued, “A lot of competition. It was a bit of a surprise. They looked good, and both in the qualifying runs and longer runs. I think they’re in the fight this weekend, which is interesting to see.”
Piastri, the only driver to complete every lap this season, is the championship leader. His primary worry is Norris as he eyes his first championship, but going into the British Grand Prix he knows he’ll have to fight off the Ferraris too.
Hamilton daring to ‘dream’ of record tenth Silverstone win
There is no man who feels more comfortable around this circuit than seven-time world champion Hamilton. Hamilton holds several Silverstone records, and broke the record for the most wins at a single circuit for any driver last year.
After the first day of practice, the Brit is optimistic to stand on the top step for a tenth time.
He said, “It was a really good day. McLaren brought an upgrade, so for us to be in the mix with them taking a step forward is really positive to see.
“We’re progressing a lot with the car, and I’m much more comfortable knowing where it needs to be. By FP2 we still weren’t where we needed to be, but we know the changes that we need to make for the next session.”
Hamilton was asked if he can dare to dream in his first time at Silverstone in red.
He replied, “I feel like we can definitely dream of having a strong weekend, for sure. Executing and putting it all together is another thing. I’ll prepare myself the best I can to make sure we get the best result.
“I think tomorrow there’s some rain potentially coming, and on Sunday as well, so we’ll try our hardest to make sure we’re ready for that.”
He’ll be comfortable in the rain here. One of Hamilton’s best ever wins came in the pouring rain at Silverstone in 2008 on the way to his first world title, and he took a victory last season in changeable conditions.
If the rain comes down on Sunday, that only plays into his hands.