McLaren’s performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix series opener left Lando Norris calling it “a little knife in the heart.”
Practice Numbers Show a Gap
In Friday’s first session, Norris clocked 14th, 1.6 seconds shy of George Russell’s benchmark. Quad‑lap comparisons put him behind teammates Oscar Piastri by a single second and further distant from the Red Bull and Ferrari pods, trailing Mercedes by 0.8 and 1.1 seconds respectively.
Piastri, initially one‑second slower, improved to sixth in the second session, keeping the margin with Norris at 1.5 seconds. The improvement did little to close the distance to the leaders.
Technical Setbacks Compound the Issue
McLaren’s sessions were disrupted by unusual floor damage recorded during FP1, contributing to the time deficit. The team lost track of the pace that could match the championship‑contending teams.
“Norris admitted the car felt marginal, though he noted the performance was not unmanageable. The car doesn’t feel that bad, but the pace is off by a significant margin,” he said post practice.
Driver’s Focus on Raw Speed
Norris maintained a pragmatic stance, declaring confidence in the vehicle “doesn’t matter.” His priority is the lap times; any further improvement depends on engineering the tomorrow’s sessions.
He said: “I just care about the pace. We’re not very fast right now, but we’ll see what we can change for tomorrow.”
Azerbaijan: Persistent Challenges
Historically, Baku remains one of Norris’s tougher crossroads, with the 49‑time podium finisher never securing a top‑three finish in the country. The recent margin suggests another thwarted streak may be on the horizon.
Looking Ahead
McLaren must rectify the floor irregularities and fine‑tune the MCL40 to keep the gap in check. Norris’s candid assessment signals that the team will focus on functional improvements before the race begins.
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