McLaren is aware that "there is still a big gap to Mercedes"
McLaren delivered a solid showing in Sprint Qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit, with Lando Norris securing third place and Oscar Piastri taking fifth.
While Piastri appeared to have the upper hand during practice, it was the reigning World Champion who found the extra edge when it mattered, placing himself ahead of both Ferraris and firmly in contention for Saturday’s Sprint.
Norris produced a clean and composed lap in SQ3, earning a spot on the second row behind the dominant Mercedes pair. Reflecting on his performance, he was satisfied with both the execution and the result.
“A positive Sprint Quali, I’m pleased with the lap and P3 is as good as we could have achieved today,” he said. “To be ahead of both Ferraris is positive, I wasn’t sure that would be possible after FP1.
"Tomorrow we’ll do what we can to maximise our result in the Sprint race. The first lap is the best opportunity for overtaking, but we know the competition are strong, and then we’ll turn our attention to Qualifying in the afternoon.”
Piastri, who starts two places behind his teammate, also delivered a tidy session. After last weekend’s dramatic crash in Melbourne, simply getting through the session cleanly was a priority, and the Australian managed exactly that.
His fifth‑place effort keeps him within striking distance of the front group, though he acknowledged that McLaren still have work to do if they want to challenge Mercedes.
“A decent Sprint Qualifying,” Piastri commented. “We executed a good session, the car felt pretty good and everything was smooth. There is still a big gap to Mercedes, so we need to work out how we can maximise our performance even more ahead of the Sprint and Grand Prix Qualifying tomorrow. Let’s see what we can do.”
While McLaren’s one‑lap pace was encouraging, questions remain about their race‑trim performance. With Ferrari known for strong starts and Mercedes currently setting the benchmark, Norris and Piastri may face pressure off the line.
