Lando Norris admitted that winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix seemed unlikely after he qualified seventh for Sunday's race. Max Verstappen secured pole position for the sixth time this season, navigating a chaotic qualifying day in Baku. The sessions saw six red flags, with championship leader Oscar Piastri managing only ninth on the grid after hitting barriers at Turn 3.
Piastri's incident occurred with just four minutes left, giving Norris a chance to close the gap in the Drivers' Championship standings. However, Norris, trailing Piastri by 31 points, couldn't capitalise as he finished over a second slower than Verstappen. Acknowledging the difficulty of overtaking on the tight street circuit, Norris said: "I would like to be on pole, of course.
I just wasn't quick enough on the final run. "
Norris explained that they took a risk by going out first, hoping to complete a lap before another crash could occur. Unfortunately, rain made the track more challenging. "You win some, you lose some," he remarked. Despite hitting the wall on his final lap, Norris wasn't disappointed but noted that overtaking would be tough due to their position and competitors ahead.
McLaren is seven podiums away from breaking the all-time record for any team in Formula 1 history. Their focus remains on winning the constructors' title. They will secure their 10th Constructors' Championship if they outscore Ferrari by nine points and avoid being outscored by Mercedes by 12 points or Red Bull by 33 points.
Oscar Piastri remains optimistic about McLaren's chances despite his qualifying setback. He expressed confidence in his car's performance during Friday's practice and qualifying sessions. "I probably braked a little bit late—I need to go back and have a look," Piastri said. He felt satisfied with the car's pace and hoped to make progress in Sunday's race.
P7 and P9 after a very disrupted Qualifying session. Strong pace from our duo but we will assess the damage on Oscar's car and come back stronger tomorrow #McLaren | #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/IW1LsNyWNS
- McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 20, 2025
Despite setbacks in qualifying, McLaren remains focused on maximising their points haul in Baku. Both drivers are determined to overcome challenges and improve their standings in both individual and team competitions as they aim for success in this season's championship battles.
