McLaren makes late Barcelona move despite Norris and Piastri's front-running pace

The Woking-based outfit, which has enjoyed a much stronger start to the weekend than it managed in Monaco, opted to replace permissible key components on both Lando Norris' and Oscar Piastri's cars. According to the team, the changes were made to improve the robustness of the installation and integration of the power units on both MCL40s.

“McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team will today use the second of its four curfew exemptions within Restricted Period Three to carry out precautionary work on both MCL40s. The team will replace permissible key components to help improve the robustness of the installation and integration of the power unit on both cars,” the team said in a statement.

The breach marks McLaren's second of the four curfew exemptions permitted during the season. Coincidentally, the papaya-coloured team also used a curfew exemption in Monaco to address issues that affected Norris' car after his FP2 session was cut short just 15 minutes into the running.

Amid the announcement of the curfew breach by the McLaren outfit, both Piastri and Norris shared their thoughts on the event's Friday running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The pair, who were largely far off the pace of the front-runners in Monaco, have largely been the pace-setters for the weekend.

Piastri, who finished P2 and P3 in both practice sessions respectively, was quick to signal the progress the McLaren team have made, which he adjudged to be more satisfying. The Australian, however, noted the need to maintain such momentum through qualifying.

“It was a pretty good Friday for us. We're pleased with the progress we've made, and the pace is a lot better than last week, which is a positive step. We seem to be in the fight at the front, which is a much more satisfying position to be in,” Piastri noted.

“The key now is to maintain this momentum into tomorrow. While the initial signs are encouraging, there's still plenty to learn and a lot more performance to find. We will keep working hard to see what more we can extract overnight ahead of the Quali,” he concluded.

Norris was also left relatively pleased with his outing, despite having to sit out the first session for Leonardo Fornaroli. The reigning world champion noted how tricky the conditions in the second practice session proved to be before highlighting the fact the circuit fits the demands of the MCL40 car.

The British driver was also optimistic about McLaren being amongst the teams to beat heading into qualifying.

“Going into Qualifying tomorrow, we feel we’re up there with the teams we want to fight. It’s hard to read others’ fuel loads and run plans, and there are still areas of the car I’m not happy with, so we need to keep improving. We’ll work hard overnight to find more, and if we do, we should be in a good place to maximise tomorrow,” Norris concluded.