McLaren’s expectations heading into the British Grand Prix were never particularly high with its less aerodynamically efficient MCL40. The Woking outfit is lagging on drag and energy management compared to its front running rivals - Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull - and also isn't yet fitting the new Mercedes power unit that the Silver Arrows has introduced for itself and customer outfits.
So Silverstone was already outlined as quite a bogey track for the reigning constructors’ champion and it came as no surprise when McLaren was far from the fight in opening practice: Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were respectively 0.887s and 1.028s off Lewis Hamilton’s benchmark in fifth and seventh. Things didn’t drastically improve in sprint qualifying either, as Norris took sixth with Piastri in seventh, though closer to the seven-time world champion’s pole time with a three tenths deficit.
