Did Piastri Slip Up While Norris Missed Chance?
Lando Norris finished in seventh place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, starting and ending the race in the same position.
In the battle for the Formula 1 World Championship, Norris needed a strong performance while his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri struggled. However, Norris could only gain six points on Piastri with his seventh-place finish, as Max Verstappen of Red Bull secured another dominant victory.
Norris attributed his race result to a challenging qualifying session, where he started in seventh place. The session was interrupted multiple times due to crashes, and Norris made a strategic error by going out first in the final minutes, affecting his lap time.
Despite being asked if it was a missed opportunity, Norris defended his performance, stating that he did everything he could under the circumstances. McLaren's team principal supported Norris's decision to run first but acknowledged that Norris did not fully utilize the car's potential in qualifying.
Looking back on the race, Norris expressed disappointment but believed he had maximized his performance given the circumstances. McLaren's team principal agreed that Norris raced well but lacked the pace to move up the field.
Piastri, on the other hand, had a challenging weekend in Baku, marked by errors in practice sessions, a crash in qualifying, a false start, and a collision during the race. Despite the setbacks, Piastri remained focused on improving and attributed the errors to executional mistakes rather than pressure from the championship battle.
Both Norris and Piastri faced difficulties due to the car's handling characteristics on the Baku circuit, which lacked long, medium-speed corners. McLaren anticipated a tough weekend in Baku and expected better performance in upcoming races that favor their car's strengths.
Verstappen's flawless performance in Baku highlighted the contrast with the McLaren drivers. Despite being behind in the championship, Verstappen's strong showing narrowed the gap to Piastri. McLaren remains optimistic about their performance in future races, particularly in Singapore, where they expect to be competitive.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc acknowledged Red Bull's improved performance but noted that McLaren is still a strong contender. Verstappen's consistent performance has put him in contention for the championship, although the gap to Piastri remains significant.