Verstappen and Norris Blame Slow Cars as Mercedes Tops Qualifying
Andrea Stella said McLaren is investigating a power deficit on Norris's car after he was 11.5km/h slower than George Russell in qualifying.
- Lando Norris qualified fifth for Saturday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, struggling with a technical issue on his McLaren that limited his top speed during Friday's qualifying session.
- McLaren principal Andrea Stella identified a fuel injection issue on the MCL40 as the source of the power deficit, noting it behaves inconsistently compared to teammate Oscar Piastri's car.
- George Russell's Mercedes proved dominant on straights, clocking 11.5km/h faster than Norris and 8.1km/h quicker than teammate Oscar Piastri during qualifying.
- Norris lamented that competing for a podium will be 'impossible' due to his straight-line speed deficit, though he remained confident in the car's handling.
- While McLaren aims to improve aerodynamic drag and power unit efficiency for future races, the team must manage these limitations for Saturday's race in Baku.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Verstappen and Norris blame slow cars as Mercedes tops qualifying
What’s behind Norris’ top-speed problem in Baku – and why McLaren itself is down on Mercedes
Lando Norris was left dumbfounded by his McLaren’s poor straightline speed in Baku qualifying – and it wasn’t just the MCL40’s regular deficit to engine provider Mercedes
Lando Norris Reveals Strange Oscar Piastri Deficit After ‘Do or Die’ Baku Qualifying
Lando Norris went for the ‘do or die’ method in F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying, as he points out to strange straight line deficit to Oscar Piastri. Having been behind all weekend in F1 Azerbaijan GP, it seemed like McLaren peaked…
Norris laments McLaren's straight-line speed deficit in 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying
McLaren’s Lando Norris will start the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP P5 on the starting grid. The Briton’s fastest lap in qualifying was 1:43.672, 1.146s slower than pole sitter George Russell. Looking ahead to the main race on Saturday, Norris reveals that he is not confident his McLaren will be in the position to fight for...
McLaren returns to Baku qualifying after a difficult Formula 1 Thursday. Oscar Piastri surprises with third place, while Lando Norris complains about a lack of top speed.
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