McLaren dominates practice sessions at 2024 British GP

Lando Norris and McLaren have emerged as the early frontrunners at the 2024 British Grand Prix, topping both Friday practice sessions at Silverstone.

The Woking-based team's impressive performance has set the stage for an exciting qualifying session and race weekend ahead.

FP1: Norris Sets the Pace

The opening practice session saw Lando Norris draw first blood, setting the fastest lap time ahead of Aston Martin's Lance Stroll.

The session began under cool conditions, with drivers initially struggling for grip on the Silverstone circuit.

Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, was the first to post a representative time of 1m29.906s on the hard compound tyre.

However, it was the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell who soon took control of the timesheets, with Russell briefly holding the top spot with a 1m28.888s lap.

The session was briefly interrupted by a red flag when Yuki Tsunoda's RB spun into the gravel at Luffield.

Once the track was clear, the action resumed with increased intensity.

As teams began to switch to medium tyres, the lap times tumbled. Oscar Piastri, in the second McLaren, briefly held the top spot before his teammate Norris eclipsed his time by two-tenths of a second.

Lance Stroll split the McLarens, showcasing Aston Martin's potential at their home race.

FP2: McLaren Consolidates Its Advantage

The second practice session saw McLaren further cement its position at the top of the timesheets.

Lando Norris once again led the way, posting a blistering lap of 1m26.549s on soft tyres.

His teammate Oscar Piastri was not far behind, finishing second with a time just 0.331 seconds slower.

The session began with Max Verstappen setting the initial pace on medium tyres. However, as teams transitioned to their qualifying simulations on soft compounds, the true pecking order began to emerge.

Sergio Perez, who missed FP1 to give rookie driver Isack Hadjar some seat time, managed to secure the third-fastest time.

This strong showing from both Red Bull drivers suggests they still have plenty of pace in reserve.

Nico Hulkenberg surprised many by placing his Haas in fourth position, while Charles Leclerc rounded out the top five for Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton, representing Mercedes, finished sixth, indicating that the Brackley-based team still has work to do to match the frontrunners.

The final minutes of FP2 were affected by light rain, which prevented teams from completing their full long-run simulations.

This leaves some uncertainty regarding the true race pace of each team heading into the weekend.

Analysis: McLaren's favorite Red Bull and Max close

The practice sessions have provided a fascinating glimpse into the potential pecking order for the British Grand Prix.

McLaren's performance has been nothing short of impressive, with the team showing strength in both one-lap pace and long-run simulations.

Looking at the long run data from FP2, Lando Norris demonstrated a slight edge over Max Verstappen on medium tyres.

Norris averaged lap times 0.1d07 seconds faster than Verstappen over an eight-lap run.

However, it's worth noting that Verstappen's tyre life was significantly shorter at just 6 laps compared to Norris's 12, suggesting that Red Bull may have been running a different program.

McLaren's dominance is further emphasized by their sector times. The Woking-based team topped all three sector time comparisons, showcasing a well-balanced car that performs strongly across Silverstone's various challenges.

Their superiority in the high-speed corners of Sector 2 is particularly noteworthy, with a 0.052-second advantage over Red Bull.

While McLaren's performance is undoubtedly eye-catching, it would be premature to discount Red Bull.

The reigning champions often keep their true pace hidden during practice sessions, and Verstappen's limited running on soft tyres suggests there's more to come from the Milton Keynes-based team.

Ferrari Struggling

Ferrari, on the other hand, seems to be struggling to match the pace of the frontrunners.

The Italian team, which didn't bring any significant upgrades to Silverstone, appears to be a step behind Mercedes and possibly two steps behind Red Bull and McLaren.

This is particularly evident in Sector 2, where the SF24 continues to suffer in the fast, sweeping corners.

Aston Martin has shown signs of improvement after a couple of difficult race weekends.

Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll appeared more comfortable with the AMR24, although concerns about tyre overheating in Sector 3 could prove challenging during qualifying and the race.

The midfield battle remains incredibly tight, with Haas, Alpine, and Aston Martin all within a tenth of a second per lap in their race simulations.

Haas, in particular, seems to have made a step forward with their latest upgrade package, which includes modifications to the floor, sidepods, and rear wing.

As the teams prepare for qualifying, the threat of rain looms over the weekend.

This additional variable could shake up the grid and add another layer of excitement to what is already shaping up to be a thrilling British Grand Prix.