Lando Norris gave McLaren an ‘encouraging’ Japanese GP boost above Oscar Piastri setting FP2 pace

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Karun Chandhok thinks Lando Norris’ immediate pace on the medium tyres in FP2 at the Japanese Grand Prix will encourage McLaren above Oscar Piastri setting the pace.

Piastri topped the FP2 timesheet at the Japanese GP on Friday after recording a 1:30.133 lap of Suzuka. The Australian pipped Mercedes racer Andrea Kimi Antonelli to top the timesheet by only 0.092 seconds clear of George Russell in P3 and Norris in P4, once on the soft tyres.

Norris posted a personal-best lap time of 1:30.649 to finish Friday 0.516s adrift as Piastri set the pace in FP2 at the Japanese GP. But the Briton’s session was heavily compromised by an early hydraulics failure, which forced him to watch the first half of the hour from the garage.

Piastri registered a total of 29 laps to Norris’ 17 after enjoying a clean session during FP2, as the tides turned at McLaren. Norris had led the papaya outfit’s efforts as Russell topped the FP1 timesheet in Japan, as he lapped 0.132s adrift for P3 and Piastri was 0.199s adrift for P4.

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Karun Chandhok thinks Lando Norris’ medium tyre pace in FP2 is ‘encouraging’ for McLaren

Seeing Norris immediately register a quick time on the medium C2 compound Pirelli tyres in FP2 at the Japanese GP was very “encouraging” for McLaren, claims Chandhok, though. The former HRT driver feels Norris’ pace showed McLaren are starting to understand the MCL40.

READ MORE: How to watch the 2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix with qualifying and race times

While Piastri set the pace in FP2, Chandhok plays down the weight of the Australian’s lap as Mercedes may not have shown their full hand at Suzuka. The Silver Arrows have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the 2026 F1 season during qualifying and race conditions so far this term.

Chandhok said on Sky Sports F1 (27/3, 06:36): “Lando has gone sixth on a set of mediums. So, that’s encouraging. McLaren, they will take good encouragement from that.

“The fact that Piastri [is] quickest after they’ve all had a go on the softs. Of course, we don’t know [whether] Mercedes are sandbagging or whatever. But, on the whole, that is more convincing than McLaren have looked than at any point in the season.”

Oscar Piastri sets the pace in FP2 at the Japanese GP – Could Mercedes be beaten to pole for the first time in 2026?

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McLaren have encountered a number of problems in 2026 in comparison to Mercedes, who saw Russell win the Australian Grand Prix and F1 Sprint in Shanghai from pole and Antonelli win the Chinese GP from pole. Norris’ P5 in Australia is still McLaren’s only Grand Prix finish.

Norris and Piastri encountered different issues with Mercedes’ battery at the Chinese Grand Prix, which saw McLaren record a double did-not-start. On top of that, McLaren’s gearbox is less efficient at regaining energy than Mercedes’ unit, as the team build their own gearbox.

Not only that, McLaren’s smaller wheelbase with the MCL40 generates less downforce and has caused Piastri and Norris to struggle for grip, particularly in China. Yet the papaya pilots showed encouraging signs in Japan to suggest the MCL40 may be a track-specific package.