Lando Norris expressed indifference toward critics who believe he has failed to seize a crucial opportunity to advance in the championship. After his teammate and title leader Oscar Piastri crashed out early in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Norris’s second-place finish yielded only six points, which did little to close the gap between them in the title race.
Despite the chance presented by Piastri’s early exit on Lap 1, Norris’s ability to capitalize was limited, leaving the Briton focused on maintaining composure as his title hopes face increasing pressure from rivals. Max Verstappen‘s consecutive win further tightened the standings, reducing his deficit to Piastri to 69 points and closing in on Norris by 44 points.
The Challenges of Maximizing Race Potential in Baku
Norris acknowledged that while he wished he could have performed better, the events of the weekend were influenced heavily by team decisions and difficult race conditions. Starting first in qualifying was a strategic call that ultimately impacted their race pace, and Norris admitted that the team paid a price for that approach.
He highlighted the risks involved, including the potential for a worse outcome had he pushed harder to improve his position. Norris credited the team’s struggles with pace and overtaking on the Baku street circuit for limiting his success.
“I’m doing the best I can in every race,”
said Norris. “If you look at it like that, every race I finished second or worse this year was an opportunity lost. So I don’t really care how people look at it.” – Lando Norris, Driver
He added,
“I also could have ended up in the wall and gone long and something worse happened. So I feel like I was close to maximising today. Maybe it didn’t look like it from the outside, but we struggled with the pace. We weren’t too optimistic about our race pace today.”
Norris described the difficulty in gaining positions on the track, which further complicated his efforts. He remains aware of the points he needs to recover, especially against fierce competition.
“I’m doing the best I can. I know I still have a lot of points to make up against a pretty good driver, an incredible driver, so I just need to keep my head up.”
– Lando Norris, Driver
Reflection on Red Bull’s Dominance and Future Challenges
Addressing Verstappen’s ongoing success, Norris urged fans and critics to accept Red Bull’s consistent strength this season. He noted that Max Verstappen has been a strong contender since the start, narrowly missing wins in the initial races.
“I think people need to stop being so surprised that they’re quick,”
Norris said. “Max was winning races already at the beginning of the year. He could have won round one [Australia]. I think he was pretty close to winning round two [China].” – Lando Norris, Driver
He emphasized Red Bull’s sustained advantage, especially after the team introduced upgrades at Monza, which maintained their competitive edge. Norris acknowledged their own team’s struggles to match that level, particularly in race pace and overtaking ability.
Highlighting the gap that remains, Norris stated how Red Bull’s performance in certain areas was on another level during the race.
“And today, when I was following the Red Bull, there were clearly some areas where they were just another level to us.”
– Lando Norris, Driver
Looking ahead, Norris recognizes that Red Bull will continue to pose a formidable challenge for the remainder of the season, and his team must work to improve in critical areas to stay competitive in the title fight.
