Lando Norris has firmly rejected any suggestion he failed to capitalize on his McLaren teammate’s early retirement at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, maintaining he delivered the maximum performance possible under challenging circumstances.
The British driver finished seventh in Baku, the same position he started, despite Oscar Piastri crashing out on the opening lap. With the Australian driver leading him in the championship standings by 31 points before the race, Norris secured only six points from the event.
“I’m giving my absolute best in every session,” Norris stated. “Any race where I don’t finish at the front represents a missed chance. How others interpret my performance doesn’t concern me.”
Norris attributed his difficulties to Saturday’s qualifying session, where he grazed the barrier and his team sent him out too early as track conditions were still improving. He emphasized that Baku’s notorious difficulty for overtaking meant his race prospects were largely determined during qualifying.
“Obviously I wanted a stronger result, so this isn’t satisfactory,” Norris explained. “There was nothing more I could extract from the car today. Our race was compromised yesterday. When overtaking is virtually impossible, you’re trapped by your starting position.”
During the race, Norris found himself stuck in multiple DRS trains with no clear path forward. His situation was further complicated by another slow pit stop from McLaren, marking the second consecutive race where pit lane delays cost him potential positions. Despite these challenges, he believed he extracted nearly everything possible from the situation.
“Pushing harder could have meant ending in the barriers with more severe consequences,” Norris noted. “From my perspective, I was close to maximizing our potential today. External perceptions might differ, but we faced genuine pace limitations. This circuit simply doesn’t allow for easy position gains.”
The Mercedes team celebrated an impressive second-place finish from George Russell, who competed while battling illness throughout the weekend. Team principal Toto Wolff revealed they had considered substituting Russell with reserve driver Valtteri Bottas as recently as Friday.
Russell acknowledged his relief at completing the demanding race. “Seeing the checkered flag felt particularly rewarding,” he admitted. “My condition improved somewhat from Friday and Saturday, but this remains one of the most physically demanding circuits on the calendar.”
Wolff praised Russell’s determination and precision. “Completing a full race distance in Baku without any errors while unwell demonstrates exceptional professionalism and skill,” the team principal remarked. “That performance fully deserved its podium finish.”
