F1 has been voyaging into the unknown in recent weeks – but the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve was the biggest mystery of all. Mugello was new; the Nürburgring as good as new, but these were tracks familiar to virtually all the drivers. Portimão was different: a freshly-laid surface rendered even the slim volume of existing data largely irrelevant. While simulations could deliver a good approximation of the required wing levels, they couldn’t forecast grip, highlight bumps or provide insight on tyre behaviour. Throughout the briefing sessions, the reoccurring conclusion to discussions was ‘we’ll find out on Friday’.

The first piece of solid information the team received once FP1 began was the squawk of indignation from drivers discovering there was almost no rear grip. It echoed up and down the pitlane. New asphalt takes a while to cure, perhaps a season or two, and the slippery surface was causing plenty of drivers to run wide or spin. “I think you need your Dad’s driving style,” deadpanned race engineer Tom Stallard to Carlos Sainz, after one particularly impressive drift. How difficult was it? The FIA had imposed strict track limits at Turns One and Four: at the end of the day they announced 125 lap times had been deleted. That’s as tough as it gets in the dry.

A tyre test in the first 30 minutes of FP2 only added to the strangeness of the weekend. Every driver was given a run plan by Pirelli and a set – or sets – of unmarked experimental 2021 tyres to use for the first half-hour of the session. While the test was blind, apart from the necessary information of weights and dimensions, that didn’t prevent the drivers being quizzed for extensive feedback after the session by engineers keen to get any insight into constructions that might be used next year.

This wouldn’t have been the weekend at which teams would have chosen to lose running time in their most important practice session – but the tyres needed to be tested, and, in theory, an hour of FP2 should have been enough time to get in the usual qualifying sim and long run. Unfortunately, two red flags during the remainder of the session left everyone struggling for laps. From what we had seen, the MCL35 looked good – but we hadn’t seen much.

The third red flag of the weekend came at the very end of FP3 when a drainage cover was dislodged. This happens in F1 from time to time: no other series pounds the track with quite so much energy or generates as much lifting force and thus any weaknesses in the infrastructure tend to be highlighted when F1 pays a visit. The knock-on effect was a 30-minute delay to the start of qualifying. With the cars prepared, the crews had very little they could do. Team manager Paul James suggested everyone relax and grab a sandwich. This had a novelty value all of its own: it’s very rare that the car crews get the opportunity to have lunch during the inter-session ‘lunchbreak’.

Carlos and Lando qualified a very respectable P7 and P8. Earlier in qualifying, the car looked – perhaps – good for a place or two higher than that. They both thought their laps (separated by only five-thousandths of a second) were solid – but the difference was that, at the end of Q2, the wind really started to pick up. While everyone got a little slower, the MCL35’s often-discussed sensitivity to strong winds saw it perhaps impacted more than most. Would they have been higher had the session started on time? Possibly. Coming back to the pitlane, Carlos muttered that he didn’t know where the pace had gone. After a pause race engineer Tom Stallard said cautiously: “you probably don’t want me to mention the ‘W’ word, do you?”

A lot happened in the 75 seconds between Lando reporting damage from the collision with Lance Stroll, and the car arriving in the pit box. Lando – after having a bit of a vent – detailed how the car felt and any damage that might not be visible. Engineers at MTC studied data on any system he drew attention to: an aerodynamicist confirmed the front wing damage was substantial and there was a gain to be made by changing the nose box; a systems engineer confirmed that the steering was functioning correctly. Race engineer Mark Temple discussed tyre choices and front wing adjustments with Lando, and then team manager Paul James double checked what tyre Lando wanted, and where the flap angle for the new front wing should be. It was a very busy minute-and-a-quarter.

Last month, Carlos led a lap of the Italian Grand Prix behind the Safety Car. The four laps he led in Portugal this weekend are the first McLaren has led in free air since 2014. With Lando also jumping up to fourth place, the garage was bouncing – except for the race engineers, keen to keep the drivers’ feet on the ground. While not going so far as to suggest actively letting the faster Mercedes and Verstappen back through, they urged Carlos and Lando to not waste time and tyre life defending the undefendable. “Remember the bigger picture,” and “we need to run our own race,” were phrases that popped up several times. The drivers were amenable to the messaging – but at the end of the race, Tom Stallard remembered to ask Carlos if he’d enjoyed his time leading a grand prix. He had.