Lando Norris criticized McLaren’s strategic decisions following a setback in Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying, where he failed to capitalize on an opportunity after his team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed in the final session. The qualifying mistake by McLaren has heightened tensions ahead of the race, as Norris seeks to recover ground in the Drivers’ Championship.
Oscar Piastri, who leads Norris by 31 points with eight races left in the season, surprisingly crashed at Turn 3 during Q3, dropping him to ninth on the starting grid. This incident appeared to open a door for Norris to secure a stronger qualifying position, but he could only manage seventh place, as Max Verstappen claimed pole for Red Bull.
Strategic Calls During Qualifying Under Scrutiny
Following Piastri’s crash near the end of Q3, McLaren sent Norris to the front of the pit lane queue with three minutes left, aiming to avoid disruptions such as yellow flags that often spoil flying laps. However, Norris believes this choice hindered his performance rather than helped.
He explained:
“I think it was mistake from my side, from our side, to go out the pit lane first. It couldn’t have been – if there was a yellow flag further back or a red, we would have 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.”
He added that conditions were tricky due to light rain, giving drivers leaving later a grip advantage.
“It was still spitting a little bit, so I think anyone who was further back, just (had) more grip,”
Norris said. He acknowledged that the decision ultimately did not pay off:
“Just a decision that didn’t work out in the end. Something we’ll review and try to do better next time.”
The Impact of Norris’s Final Lap Error
Norris also admitted disappointment in his last qualifying lap, which was compromised after touching the barrier at Turn 15. This mistake further limited his position on the grid despite his hopes of improving.
“I’m disappointed, of course I wanted more,”
Norris said. “Seventh feels like it hurts a bit, just because that’s not normal for us, and I made the mistake so maybe I could have been a couple of positions further up. The rest, just the lap wasn’t as good as it needed to be. The grip wasn’t there. Always difficult around here, especially with the bits of rain and knowing how much to push, how much not to push. You hit the white line a little bit wrong, you’re in the wall.”
“It’s difficult, but a lot of positives still, and I just have to look forward to tomorrow.”
Andrea Stella Defends Pit Lane Strategy
In contrast to Norris’s critique, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella supported the tactical decision to send Norris out first in the pit lane. He explained that, given the time pressures and potential for yellow flags, it was vital to put a lap together without interruption.
Stella stated,
“There was a bit of pressure with time, there’s a pressure with yellow flags, so I think in our condition, it was important to put a lap together. Ultimately, the lap didn’t come as good as we wanted. But being first gives you the safety from a yellow flag point of view, you can control the warm up of the tyres on the out-lap.”
“We thought that was alright from that point of view, it was just more a matter of executing the lap.”
Piastri Reflects on His Rare Qualifying Mistake
Oscar Piastri, who had displayed remarkable consistency throughout the season with only one previous error during wet conditions at the Australian opener, was unexpectedly the sixth driver to crash during qualifying in Baku. His error, hitting the barrier at Turn 15, surprised many.
Piastri said,
“I think I just braked a little bit late. I’ve not seen any data but that’s normally what happens when you end up locking a brake, it’s a bit late. Disappointing obviously, I felt like the car was in a good place, but a disappointing way to end.”
He added uncertainty about whether he was pushing too hard or if tricky conditions influenced the mistake:
“The first two corners were really good and then, I don’t know if I tried a bit too much or [because] the rain has been around. There were some corners on the out lap that felt a bit tricky, but I don’t know if that was one of them.”
“Ultimately I need to go and have a look, but I think just a case of trying a little bit too hard and paying the price.”
Winning Prospects Diminished but Not Abandoned
Both McLaren drivers downplayed the chances of overtaking Red Bull and claiming victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Norris pointed to the superior pace of the Red Bull cars this weekend as a significant obstacle.
“I think Red Bull is too quick. They’re just as quick as us, easily,”
Norris said. “They were very fast today. I think in these conditions, the Red Bull was performing well, even Yuki (Tsunoda) was up there, so clearly the Red Bull was working well around here.”
“It’s a long race, a lot of opportunities can come our way. It’s not an easy track to overtake on, but it’s still possible. I’ll do my homework tonight and prepare the best I can.”
Piastri shared a similar outlook, acknowledging the challenge but remaining cautiously optimistic:
“I think the win is ambitious but let’s wait and see.”
“I think we can definitely make progress. The car has been quick this weekend and hopefully we can use that to make progress.”
Meanwhile, race leader Max Verstappen anticipates McLaren will fight back during the race despite their position on the grid. When asked about his expectations, Verstappen said: “Still from them (McLaren), naturally.”
“I know that they are further back but I think some of these cars they will clear quite quick, because we are normally a bit faster.”
Schedule and Broadcast Details for Azerbaijan Grand Prix
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, with the main race beginning at 12pm local time. Coverage starts at 10:30am with build-up shows live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Viewers can also stream the event through services like NOW, which offer flexible, no-contract access to live Formula 1 races.
Additional events on Grand Prix Sunday include the F2 Feature Race at 7:55am and post-race analysis shows following the chequered flag.
Outlook for McLaren’s Championship Hunt
The qualifying disappointment in Baku compounds the pressure on McLaren’s duo as the season nears its final stages. Norris’s frustrations highlight the fine margins involved in strategy decisions and driver execution at demanding circuits. Meanwhile, Piastri’s error is an unusual blemish in an otherwise consistent campaign.
Despite the uphill battle against a dominant Red Bull team on pace and track position, McLaren remains focused on extracting every possible advantage from race day. Success in Baku will require careful recovery and optimal race strategy to keep championship ambitions alive under challenging circumstances.
