Lando Norris acknowledged that McLaren experienced their most challenging Friday of 2025 at the Canadian Grand Prix. Despite improving from seventh in the first session to second, Norris anticipates Mercedes will secure pole position. "It's been our worst Friday of the year so far, maybe not worst in terms of pace but the most difficult to put together and most tricky," said Norris.

George Russell led the second practice session, narrowly beating Norris by 0.028 seconds. Russell aims to clinch pole for a second consecutive year at this event. "We know our weakness, which is when it's hot we struggle. When it's cold, the tyres run cold and we are competitive," Russell explained.Norris noted that while McLaren isn't far off pace-wise, they need to make driving easier. "We are not miles away, but we need to make it a bit easier to drive," he stated. Despite previous dominance in early rounds, McLaren faced difficulties maintaining speed across sessions.Rookie Kimi Antonelli secured third place, with Oscar Piastri finishing sixth behind Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso. Norris mentioned that Mercedes' speed was anticipated given their performance last year. "They were quite easily the best here last year," he remarked.

Track Conditions and Car Performance

Norris highlighted the unique challenges of the track with its kerbs and low grip levels. He felt that while changes aimed to improve car feel, it was too soon to judge their effectiveness fully. "A bit too early to tell but all of the things are aiming to move the car in the right direction," he added.Russell's success often comes in cooler conditions this season, aligning with Mercedes' strengths. His lap was optimised with no room for improvement left. "My lap was strong. It was optimised," Russell commented on his performance.As teams prepare for Saturday's qualifying session, McLaren remains hopeful despite not being the fastest currently. "At the minute, we are not the quickest, but you never know," Norris concluded confidently about their prospects moving forward in the competition.