Baku Circuit Suits McLaren, Norris Aims Higher

Despite securing his best qualifying position of the season, Lando Norris couldn’t help but feel disappointed after narrowly missing the chance to claim fourth place during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifiers.

Lando Norris expressed that achieving fourth place was a possibility for McLaren during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifiers, resulting in his disappointment at the session’s conclusion.

Finishing in seventh place, Norris secured his highest qualifying position of the season thus far.

McLaren has implemented numerous enhancements this weekend, with Norris asserting that the car has now reached the performance level it should have exhibited at the beginning of the year in Bahrain.

After using FP1 to familiarize himself with the track, Norris was just two-tenths of a second behind Carlos Sainz, who finished fourth, and believed he could have achieved that position as well.

Before the event, Norris said that they “100 per cent would’ve taken [P7]” as it was a great result, and he told Sky Sports that the upgrades had a positive effect.

He explained that the car performed well on the track, and he felt he was improving his driving. However, he still thought they could have reached P4, leaving him somewhat disappointed.

Norris also mentioned that McLaren’s tire strategy might make the team vulnerable during Saturday’s sessions.

He acknowledged that the team didn’t make the best decisions regarding their approach, but he maintained that the overall situation was promising.

Norris explained that with their P7 finish and the inability to conduct runs with the new tire on Saturday, they found themselves in a challenging position.

He expressed mixed feelings, emphasizing that there were many positive aspects to consider. The team had done an excellent job getting the necessary parts to the event, and they worked immediately upon installation.

Norris mentioned that they were confident that the new components would function smoothly, which indeed occurred.

During the previous race in Melbourne, McLaren earned its first points of the 2023 season. Norris finished sixth after a tumultuous end to the grand prix.

Looking to increase his point total in Baku, the British driver indicated that the circuit’s features are favorable for the McLaren car.

Norris explained that they have been working hard to reduce drag on the car and have been using a lower downforce setup compared to previous configurations. He also mentioned that the new floor was functioning well, with additional improvements contributing to better overall performance.

He pointed out that the car was strong in braking zones and straight-line braking at the track. Reflecting on their performance in Australia, Norris said it wasn’t bad, and perhaps the Baku circuit suits the McLaren car even more.

Despite these improvements, he admitted that they were still one second behind, suggesting that they could have been eight-tenths off and four positions higher.

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