F1 | McLaren, Carlos Sainz: “Knowing how to manage graining will make the difference”

McLaren's Friday was certainly positive, especially thanks to Carlos Sainz who, once again, confirmed himself in the top 10 in both sessions: seventh in the first session, behind the big names, and eighth in the second. Not bad for the Spaniard, who seems to have found himself at ease with the MCL34 on the Mexico City circuit.

"I think it was another solid Friday, despite not having finished it in the best way with a less than clean lap on the Soft tire in FP2 but, overall, I felt comfortable with the car and the set-up” said Sainz at the end of the sessions.

"We didn't make any big changes on the day and we completed our program, which is good news. However, it looks like the big thing this weekend will be graining and how to manage it. We will analyze the data collected and prepare for tomorrow".

Lando Norris, at his first official test in Mexico, struggled a bit during the morning session, finishing fourteenth, but recovered during free practice 2 to move up to tenth position.

"Has it been a good day. I struggled with lock-ups in Turn 1 and we had some issues with the car. Things went better in FP2 and especially towards the end of the session” Lando confirmed.

"The main thing is that there are clear points that the team and I have to work towards. There's a lot of work to do overnight, but I'm sure we'll come back stronger tomorrow".