Janice R. Andrews
Lando Norris of McLaren is still hopeful about doing well in Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, even though he started further back on the grid. Because of the yellow flags that made qualifying so difficult for Norris, he will start the race nine places behind Max Verstappen, who is competing for the title.
Norris qualified 17th, but two important events helped him. First, Pierre Gasly of Alpine was penalized for a technical violation, which moved Norris up one place. After that, Mercedes decided to start Lewis Hamilton with a new engine from the pit lane, which moved Norris up one spot. He is now 15th on the grid because of this. However, there is a big gap at the front, and Norris will have to work hard to close the 62-point gap between himself and Verstappen as the season comes to a close.
It’s Hard to Qualify for Norris
During qualifying, Norris had a lot of problems. He couldn’t go past the first practice because of a well-timed yellow flag, so he had to start way down the field. Norris said, “It is what it is, but there is a long race ahead.” He also said that his team had saved a set of good tires for him that could help him win the race.
Even so, Norris admitted that it was hard to pass on the tight and tricky Baku street track, where the pit straight, which is two kilometers long, is one of the few places drivers can go. Because you can’t catch up, Norris said, “everything will have to be done with strategy.” He also said that some of the slower cars ahead of him have chosen low downforce setups, which make them faster on straightaways and harder to pass.
Plan is the most important thing.
Norris stressed that his plan will have a big impact on how well he does in the race. Because it is so hard to pass at Baku, any chance of moving forward will depend on the choices made during the race. “We will hope for the best, but I don’t expect anything much unless strategy comes into play,” he stated. But the McLaren driver is still optimistic. He says that his car can fight if he can find clean air.
For Oscar Piastri, who is on the same team as Norris, McLaren’s plan for the weekend was to help Norris get a better finish. Piastri placed second, just behind Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who won the pole position for the fourth year in a row in Baku. Leclerc, on the other hand, hasn’t turned a Baku pole into a win yet.
Leclerc wants to win his first game in Baku.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari is also trying to make things right in Baku. The Ferrari driver has won the pole position four times in a row at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but he has never won on the streets of Baku. Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix not long ago and wants to keep that energy going into the race on Sunday.
Leclerc knew the race ahead would be tough, especially since he was worried about how quickly the tires would wear down and how much fuel would be carried. “Unfortunately, the engine blew up when I was in charge in 2022.” He also said, “I hope that tomorrow the pace we’ve seen all weekend will still be there, but it will be very different because tires will wear down much faster with high fuel.”
Norris Bets on Chaos
One thing that could work in Norris’ favor is that Baku is known for races that are very wild and full of incidents. A lot of red flags, safety cars, and a lack of certainty have been a part of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari talked about how hard it is to keep up with the pace during races at Baku. “When there are red flags, that’s usually the hardest thing about Baku,” Sainz said. “That breaks up the rhythm of the race.” He also talked about how hard it is to keep tire temperatures steady during safety-car restarts, which can cause mistakes.
If things go wrong in the race, Norris might be able to use the chaos to his advantage and move up the field. “We will hope for the best,” Norris said, but he also said that realistic goals are important because a lot will depend on how the race is run.
Verstappen Is Cautiously Positive
At the same time, Max Verstappen, who is Norris’ main title foe, has his own problems to solve. The Red Bull driver said he wasn’t sure about how the car was set up during qualifying, which made it harder for him to try to get a better starting spot.
Verstappen said, “The way the car feels now is not good,” which made him worry that he could take a win at Baku. Even so, Verstappen is always a threat, even from the back of the line, because of how skilled he is and how fast Red Bull is in races.
Lando Norris is still “hopeful” for a good finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but his hopes depend on smart strategy choices and how unpredictable the race is. It is known that the Baku street track can be unpredictable. On Sunday, key drivers like Leclerc, Verstappen, and Norris will all be facing their own problems, making for an exciting race.
