Sports · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
Lando Norris Says McLaren Were 1.5secs Off Pace After Azerbaijan GP Practice
Norris said McLaren were about 1.5 seconds slower than Mercedes in Baku practice. Mercedes topped practice with Russell leading, highlighting McLaren's credible but lagging pace.
12 outlets told this the same way.
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5 of 8 outlets skipped it: antonelli’s FP1 hydraulic failure caused his car to smoke..
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Norris rues pace
Lando Norris said McLaren were "miles off" the pace after the first day's practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, adding that he was "1.5secs off the pace" set by Mercedes driver George Russell. Norris said McLaren were hoping for a step forward in Baku after introducing a significant upgrade package, but he remained sixth fastest after the first day's running. Rob Marshall said McLaren had introduced a significant upgrade this weekend and that the initial data suggested the car was behaving as simulations predicted, while also saying it was clear they had "not yet unlocked its full potential."
George Russell headed both practice sessions, with the F1 weekend running unusually from Thursday to Saturday because it is Azerbaijan's national remembrance day on Sunday. Kimi Antonelli led team-mate Russell by 0.552 seconds in the second session, but Antonelli later faced reliability issues including a hydraulic failure that left him missing the first half of the second session.
Deficit becomes a theme
Norris told F1 TV after FP2 that "Running… I mean, we are miles off," and he said McLaren were "pretty pants" after seeing how far off they were. Norris described the gap as "like a knife in the heart" and said "We’ll see what work we can do tonight" after the car did not feel that bad. France 24 said Russell topped the times ahead of Kimi Antonelli as Mercedes dominated Friday's second practice, delivering a 1-2 ahead of Max Verstappen by eight-tenths of a second.
Norris said he was not expecting to contend for pole position, and Sky Sports quoted him saying McLaren's pace was "pretty pants" and that he was "1.5 seconds" slower than Russell in second practice. Antonelli said "We tried to do the maximum with what we had" after losing quite a few laps in FP1 and missing half of FP2, while Verstappen, Leclerc and Russell clocked fastest lap times in the session.
What happens next
Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord said he did not "think the gaps are representative" after Norris and McLaren finished sixth in the first day's practice. Sky Sports said qualifying takes place on Friday at 1pm, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix itself on Saturday at 12pm, and it framed the schedule around Sunday being Remembrance Day in Azerbaijan. El Litoral said Russell set the pace in the first practice with a 1m45.387s lap on the Baku street circuit, and it said Antonelli completed nine laps after a hydraulic pressure loss.
France 24 said the session was halted only once for a red flag when Racing Bulls' rookie Arvid Lindblad crashed in the narrowest section of the circuit, and it said he was unhurt. Norris said "I just care about the pace" and that "we're not very fast," while Rob Marshall said McLaren's upgrade package was "early days" and that the team needed to learn how to dial it in.