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Lando Norris went fastest in Free Practice 1 before clocking respectable times in Friday's second and final session. However, the McLaren driver is under no illusions about where the MCL38 lies in the pecking order.
A small upgrade was fitted to the MCL38 this weekend, but the team's major improvements will arrive later in the season. Until then, the Woking-based squad must work to optimise its current package and compete for the top five positions.
According to Lando Norris, there is a clear limit to what McLaren can achieve this weekend. More broadly, the 24-year-old revealed that Ferrari and Red Bull are both beyond reach.
He explained the team's current performance in the media pen:
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"I think we lose just a little bit in every sector compared to the Ferrari's, maybe a little bit more in the tight and twisty corners like the last sector.
"But we're just not as quick everywhere, basically, it's not in a single place."
In previous events, the MCL38 has lost out in low-speed corners and in the straights - two things that are present but not predominant at Albert Park.
Lando Norris predicts Ferrari at the front
McLaren currently sit third in the F1 standings, a fair reflection of their performance so far in 2024.
Despite this, Aston Martin has proven more than capable of matching or even surpassing the Woking squad in qualifying. Should the AMR24 become stronger in race trim, this could complicate things for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
When asked if Ferrari is a reference for McLaren, Norris bluntly assessed the team's closest rivals:
"Oh no, Ferrari are on Pole tomorrow, I think. Leclerc on pole tomorrow, or Carlos.
"It's more the Astons and Mercedes. It's been clear since day one that Red Bull and Ferrari are way too fast for us, so [there's] no point looking at them.
"But Mercedes and Aston, I think they're a better target."
When looking back at where Andrea Stella's personnel started last season, they can be thankful for being in a far stronger position to start 2024. However, they have undoubtedly lost ground to Red Bull and Ferrari since last year's finale in Abu Dhabi.
This will once again put pressure on McLaren's engineers to unlock more performance in mid-season upgrades as the campaign progresses.
