Lando Norris has ‘nothing to smile about just yet’ despite ominous Abu Dhabi GP pace

McLaren driver Lando Norris has warned there’s “nothing to smile about just yet” despite topping both Friday practice sessions at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Norris was quickest in both FP1 and FP2 as he hit the ground running on the title-deciding weekend at Yas Marina, but still hopes for changes to be made to maximise his opportunity.

Lando Norris: ‘Nothing to smile about just yet’ despite Abu Dhabi practice form

The McLaren driver was almost four tenths clear of Max Verstappen in FP2 in Abu Dhabi, with qualifying simulations taking place in representative conditions at Yas Marina.

Norris holds a 12-point advantage heading into the final race of the season and knows he needs a podium finish to secure his maiden Drivers’ Championship.

Despite a promising start for the McLaren driver, he urged caution as he is still wanting to further finetune his setup heading into the weekend.

Asked about how the car feels, Norris took time to respond, taking a breath before replying: “Obviously from the times and everything, things are good at the minute, but I still want a bit more from the car.

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“Not completely happy, not completely confident.

“We’re a bit in the middle of trying some different things and then trying to understand some things with the car, so hopefully some more stuff we can get out of it overnight.

“But it’s not been a bad day, for sure. It’s been a positive day, but we always know it gets a lot closer going into quali, so nothing to smile about just yet.”

On the other side of the McLaren garage, Oscar Piastri is still within mathematical contention of his first Drivers’ title, but sits 16 points behind his teammate heading into the weekend.

The Australian suffered a lock up on his qualifying simulation run in FP2, leaving him outside the top 10 come the end of the session.

However, he is undeterred as he goes in search of an unlikely turnaround.

Asked about his chances of challenging for pole, Piastri replied: “I think pretty good. I think the car’s looked quick.

“Just need to get some more laps under my belt and find my feet, a bit more rear, that’s also a few more laps tomorrow, a few more sets of tyres. Hopefully we’ll be there.

“I think it’s more just little details [to change]. The car feels like it’s in a pretty decent place again, just didn’t get the grip out of it in that first soft lap.

“So, some small tweaks. Of course, it didn’t feel perfect out there, but nothing major.”

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