Let me clarify: it doesn't expect to beat Max Verstappen tomorrow. Not even after a terrific run of form since Austria that's left the team from Woking among the fastest cars every week.

"It's great to see, you know, all the men and women back at the factory and here, they have a mindset, you know, they're almost a little disappointed in second now," team CEO Zak Brown told F1.tv. "So we're gonna keep our feet on the ground because it's obviously fiercely competitive. But the mindset is definitely we're trying to go for the top spot, not this best-of-the-rest stuff anymore. But it's pretty, it's pretty tight."

Both McLaren drivers parlayed their newfound confidence into an excellent qualifying session where they consistently swapped P1 position with Verstappen until Q3. In the final session, Piastri fell back to a P8 start, and Norris admitted the second half of his last lap was "one of worst second halves of a lap" he's ever done. He starts P2. Coming off that disappointment, he naturally hedged a little about his chances on Sunday, citing the McLaren's tire wear and struggle in certain corners.

"But we've improved the car quite a bit since Friday, so I want to be a little bit more hopeful," Norris said. "There are opportunities, but it's going to be tough. We had a tricky Spa but still finished P7, and we come to a track which we know suits us a bit more, and we proved it today again. So, the team has done an excellent job, they've really made a massive step forward from where we were to where we are now."