'A big setback' – McLaren confirm gearbox issue as Norris misses FP2 in Madrid

McLaren have confirmed that a gearbox issue prevented Lando Norris from competing in Free Practice 2 ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, adding it's "a big setback" for the reigning World Champion.

Drivers and teams got their first taste of the Madring on Friday, with the new venue's part-street, part-purpose-built layout providing a challenge.

Any running was crucial in order to gather data, but Norris' exploits were cut short after just two laps in FP2 before the Briton pulled his McLaren into the garage with a mechanical issue that was not fixed before the end of the session.

"Gearbox problem for Lando, that's obviously a big setback for him," said Mark Temple, McLaren's Technical Director for Performance, after the session. "Going into FP3 we'll be trying to do as much as we can to give him back track time.

"It was as expected, a very technical, tough track for the drivers, trying to find their way and learn the track. Deal with the very hot temperatures on the tyres. For sure track time for Lando will be very important tomorrow."

Norris had been able to finish sixth in the opening hour of practice, nearly nine tenths behind George Russell's Mercedes before his problems later in the day.

Team mate Oscar Piastri was able to complete a full day of running, finishing P8 and P7 across both sessions as the Australian looked to get on top of the new venue.

A particular challenge was finding the right car balance with a compromised set-up for straights and high-speed corners, as well as managing tyre temperature and wear.

"I felt like we got a bit closer in FP2, which was good, but we're still lacking a bit of pace it seems," he said.

"We'll try and improve, it's been an interesting day learning a new circuit. It's certainly tough to get on top of but it's been a day full of learning. Hopefully we can find a bit more tomorrow.

"Trying to extract the performance on a street circuit like this is pretty challenging. That's the biggest thing for us at the moment. Hopefully tomorrow we can make things a bit easier and find just a bit more consistency and a bit more ability to get that time out of the car."