Lando Norris of McLaren adopted a reserved approach despite dominating the opening practice sessions of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Although the British driver topped both Friday sessions, he expressed a desire for further improvements from his car.
"I mean, obviously from the times, things look good at the minute. I still want a bit more from the car. I'm not completely happy or completely confident," Norris stated. "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 qualifying, so nothing to smile about just yet."
Norris, who can secure the World Championship with a podium finish on Sunday, was over three-tenths faster than Max Verstappen in the more representative second practice session. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, lagged in 11th place, 0.680 seconds behind Norris.
Qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is scheduled for Saturday at 2 pm, with extensive build-up coverage beginning at 1:15 pm on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports F1. Securing pole position is vital, given the significance of track position in this decisive race.
Verstappen, who has not led the championship all season, acknowledged McLaren's superior speed but emphasized his determination to challenge for the title. "I was fairly happy with the car. We just need to probably be a little bit faster. Still not quick enough," Verstappen said. "It seems like it's a decent gap we need to close, but from our side, we will just try to put the best car forward and see how much we can find overnight."
Piastri, who missed the first practice session due to McLaren's rookie obligations, expressed confidence in his chances for pole position. "The car is in a decent place. Some small tweaks, it didn't feel perfect but nothing major. The car looked quick. Just need to get some more laps under my belt and find my feet. Hopefully we will be there."
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concludes the 2025 Formula 1 season, with the decisive race set to air live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday at 1 pm.
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