Lando Norris has openly acknowledged that choosing to be the first driver to hit the track in Q3 during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying was his decision. Reflecting on this choice, he now understands it placed him at a disadvantage, affecting his final position and perception.
The McLaren driver, who will start the race seventh on the Baku City Circuit grid, made a critical error in judgment during qualifying. This miscalculation has left him frustrated as he missed the chance to challenge for a higher spot against top rivals.
Different Qualifying Strategies Under Challenging Conditions
Qualifying at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix proved to be an unusually eventful session, marked by multiple red flags and changing weather conditions. Cooler temperatures, gusty winds, and new tyre compounds combined to create a difficult environment for all drivers, extending the session longer than any regular race during the season so far.
With just over three minutes left in Q3, Oscar Piastri of McLaren triggered the sixth caution flag of the session, an unprecedented number in recent Formula 1 history. This forced all drivers back to the pits to reconsider their final strategies as they sought to beat Carlos Sainz’s provisional pole time.
After Piastri’s exit from contention for pole, the battle narrowed to Norris and Max Verstappen. However, their tactics varied significantly. Norris opted to be the first car back on track once the session resumed, aiming to complete his flying lap without interruption from additional caution flags.
While this approach allowed Norris to avoid traffic or incident interference, it also gave his competitors valuable insight into track conditions. A light drizzle had begun, slightly moistening the circuit, which made timing and grip difficult to judge for that initial run.
Verstappen’s Strategy Pays Off as Norris Faces Consequences
In contrast to Norris, Verstappen delayed his run and was the last driver to leave the pits. Although this approach entailed the risk of another red flag cutting his lap short, he benefited from a cleaner, drier track surface, enabling a fast and decisive flying lap.
Verstappen capitalized on these conditions by securing pole position with a margin of nearly four-tenths of a second over his nearest competitor. Meanwhile, Norris’s early run saw him relegated to seventh place, a position he himself described as making him
“kind of look like the loser.”
“I think it was a mistake from my side, from our side, to go out the pit lane first,”
Norris admitted during a post-session interview with Sky Sports.
He elaborated on the possible outcomes had the session unfolded differently, saying:
“If there was a yellow flag further back, or a red, we would have looked like the heroes and everyone else would have looked like losers.
Now I kind of look like the loser and them heroes, but it’s the price you pay sometimes around here, and the risks you’ve got to take.”
This acknowledgment underscored the gamble Norris took in being the first driver out despite the uncertain track conditions.
Reflections on Decision-Making and Championship Implications
Norris confirmed to print media journalists that it was indeed his call to lead the field back onto the circuit at the resumption of Q3. However, he described the moment as
“just the wrong decision to make”
given how the track began to spit with rain before the lap, which compromised his advantage.
“In the end, if everyone else got a yellow behind because someone else went off behind me, you wouldn’t be asking me this question,”
he said, expressing the unpredictable nature of racing and the fine margins involved.
He acknowledged that sometimes risky calls succeed and sometimes they fail, emphasizing the learning process in high-pressure situations.
“We thought we took the better option. I think it would have been if it wasn’t spitting; it just started to spit again before the final run, and then going out first is just the incorrect thing, so something to learn from,”
Norris stated.
He also expressed his ongoing ambition to secure pole positions regularly, admitting that his struggles this weekend stemmed largely from the strategic choice rather than a lack of pace.
“But that’s a hindsight thing, not an incorrect one at the time.”
This qualifying result means Norris will start the race only two places ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri, who had also faced difficulties during the session. As a result, Norris’s chance to make a decisive move in the championship standings against Piastri remains limited, leaving him 31 points behind in the title race.
Despite this setback, the Briton rejected suggestions that he has wasted an important opportunity to gain ground in the championship.
“If I won every race, I could be world champion by now, but I didn’t.”
His sober response highlights his acceptance that victories are difficult and cannot be taken for granted.
Norris Targets Podium Finish Amid Verstappen’s Strong Pace
Looking ahead to the race, Norris remained cautious in his predictions. He acknowledged the dominant pace displayed by pole-sitter Verstappen, who appears well-positioned to control the race at Baku.
This reality likely diminishes McLaren’s prospects of a victory this weekend, but Norris emphasized the team’s ambition to secure a podium spot.
“We’ll be trying to get on the podium.”
As the Azerbaijan Grand Prix unfolds, Norris’s ability to maximize points despite an imperfect qualifying will be key for his championship campaign, especially with his main rival teammates competing closely behind him.
