Lando Norris’ slow pitstop during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has sparked accusations of sabotage against McLaren on social media. The frustrating delay happened while Norris was competing in Baku, undermining his chance to capitalize on teammate Oscar Piastri’s early crash and shaking up the championship battle.
McLaren’s Difficult Weekend in Baku
McLaren’s weekend in Azerbaijan proved disastrous as Oscar Piastri crashed out on the first lap after hitting the barriers. With Piastri sidelined, Norris had an opportunity to close the points gap in the championship. However, a sluggish pit stop caused him to lose track position to Charles Leclerc. Stuck behind Leclerc in a drag reduction system (DRS) train, Norris struggled to move up and ultimately finished seventh.
After the race, Norris trails Piastri by 25 points in the driver standings, fueling speculation from some fans on social platforms who suggested McLaren might have deliberately compromised Norris’ race performance.
Fan Theories and Reactions Online
Following the race, F1 posted video footage of Norris’ pitstop on X (formerly Twitter), which quickly became a hotspot for conspiracy theories. Several McLaren supporters voiced suspicions that the team intentionally slowed Norris down.
Is McLaren sabotaging Lando on purpose?
one user questioned.
Haha, McLaren keeps doing their best to make things fair.
another sarcastically remarked.
McLaren gave Norris a slow stop to make it fair as Piastri crashed out of the race,
claimed a third.
Despite these accusations, McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown has reiterated the team’s commitment to allowing both Norris and Piastri to compete freely for the championship without interference.
Background: Previous Incidents Fuel Speculation
This is not the first time Norris has encountered pitstop troubles that affected his race results. At the previous round in Monza, Norris suffered from another slow stop while running second, enabling Piastri to perform an undercut and take the position temporarily. However, McLaren later enforced team orders compelling Piastri to return the position to Norris, acknowledging the error was on the team’s side rather than the drivers’.
This episode has further intensified fan speculation, with former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone suggesting McLaren favors Norris to win the title over Piastri. The fresh pitstop issue in Baku quickly reignited these theories, though some fans addressed the situation with humor instead of suspicion.
McLaren and pit stop drama just won’t end — it happened again… Oscar must be very happy with this,
one fan commented.
It wasn’t Lando’s fault. Leclerc and Lawson should give back position,
joked another.
Pit Crew Criticism Amid Fan Frustration
Several supporters placed blame squarely on McLaren’s pit crew performance rather than attributing the slow stop to any deliberate sabotage. One fan wrote,
See? Swap your pit crew, not the driver.
Another added,
Pit crew should be ashamed, they did it again.
Championship Battle and What Lies Ahead
The ongoing pitstop and strategic challenges for Norris threaten to hamper McLaren’s chances in the tightly contested championship. With 25 points separating the two teammates, consistency and flawless execution will be crucial moving forward. Despite fan unrest and speculation, team leadership has emphasized internal harmony and fair competition between Norris and Piastri as the season progresses.
LAP 38/51
Norris pits and it's not the quickest by McLaren – just over four seconds 😖
He's back out on track in P8#F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/heM23Xh2EZ
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 21, 2025
Is mclaren sabotaging lando on purpose?
— Yonan (@defimhamad) September 21, 2025
Haha, McLaren keeps doing their best to make things fair 😂
— Dev (@dev_11217) September 21, 2025
McLaren gave Norris a slow stop to make it fair as Piastri crashed out of the race
— ً (@dnctway) September 21, 2025
McLaren and pit stop drama just won't end — it happened again… Oscar must be very happy with this.
— Sporttify (@sporttify) September 21, 2025
It wasn’t Lando’s fault. Lec and Law should give back position
— Kormoran 🇺🇸🇵🇱 (@kormoran) September 21, 2025
See? Swap your pitcrew, not the driver
— Rizq Naufal (@rizqnaufall) September 21, 2025
Pit crew should be ashamed, they did it again.!!!!
— Willy Alemán (@Waleman49) September 21, 2025
