Lando Norris says McLaren made strategic 'mistake' after Oscar Piastri crashed out of Azerbaijan GP Qualifying
Lando Norris qualified seventh for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix; world championship leader Oscar Piastri is ninth on the grid after crashing; watch the Azerbaijan GP on Sunday with lights out at 12pm, with build-up from 10.30am live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event
Sunday 21 September 2025 10:56, UK
Lando Norris said McLaren made a strategy error in Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifying after he failed to take full advantage of his team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri crashing out of the session.
Piastri, who leads Norris by 31 points at the top of the Drivers Championship with eight rounds remaining, made a rare error by hitting the barrier at Turn 3 in Q3, leaving him ninth on the grid.
The incident appeared to have provided Norris with the perfect opportunity to secure a major advantage going into Sunday's race, but the Brit was only able to claim seventh as Max Verstappen took pole for Red Bull.
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McLaren sent Norris to the front of the queue at the end of the pit lane when Q3 about was about to resume with three minutes remaining following Piastri's crash to cover off the possibility of further disruption, but he felt as though the decision ultimately hindered him.
Norris told Sky Sports F1: "I think it was mistake from my side, from our side, to go out the pit lane first.
"It couldn't have been - if there was a yellow flag further back or a red, we would have like the heroes and everyone else would have looked like losers. Now I kind of look like the loser and them heroes, but it's the price you pay sometimes around here and the risks you've got to take.
"But it was still spitting a little bit, so I think anyone who was further back, just (had) more grip.
"Just a decision that didn't work out in the end. Something we'll review and try to do better next time.
"We just made the wrong decision. We'll punch ourselves about it now, but it easily could have gone our way."
Norris lost significant ground to Piastri when a technical failure at the Dutch Grand Prix saw him retire as the Australian won, and left the Brit hoping for opportunities to make major inroads over the remainder of the season.
While he insisted he hadn't missed an opportunity, he admitted to being "disappointed" by his final lap, which was almost completely ruined by a scrape with the barrier at Turn 15.
"I'm disappointed, of course I wanted more," Norris said. "Seventh feels like it hurts a bit, just because that's not normal for us, and I made the mistake so maybe I could have been a couple of positions further up.
"The rest, just the lap wasn't as good as it needed to be. The grip wasn't there. Always difficult around here, especially with the bits of rain and knowing how much to push, how much not to push. You hit the white line a little bit wrong, you're in the wall.
"It's difficult, but a lot of positives still, and I just have to look forward to tomorrow."
Stella defends McLaren decision
Andrea Stella appeared to disagree with Norris' assessment of the final stages of the session as the McLaren team principal defended the decision to send the Brit out at the front of the pack.
The chaotic session had a record six red flag interruptions, along with multiple occasions when yellow flags were waived, with the latter having the potential to ruin a flying lap for drivers behind an incident which causes them.
Stella told Sky Sports F1: "There was a bit of pressure with time, there's a pressure with yellow flags, so I think in our condition, it was important to put a lap together.
"Ultimately, the lap didn't come as good as we wanted. But being first gives you the safety from a yellow flag point of view, you can control the warm up of the tyres on the out-lap.
"We thought that was alright from that point of view, it was just more a matter of executing the lap."
Piastri: I think I tried too hard
Piastri's position at the top of the championship has been built upon his remarkable consistency, with his only mistake of note this year having come in hugely challenging wet conditions at the season-opener in Australia.
Given five drivers had already caused red flags by crashing in Qualifying, it was a major surprise the ice-cool Piastri would become the sixth to make an error.
He carried too much speed into Turn 15 and didn't come close to making the corner as his car slammed into the barrier.
He told Sky Sports F1: "I think I just braked a little bit late. I've not seen any data but that's normally what happens when you end up locking a brake, it's a bit late.
"Disappointing obviously, I felt like the car was in a good place, but a disappointing way to end.
"The first two corners were really good and then, I don't know if I tried a bit too much or [because] the rain has been around. There were some corners on the out lap that felt a bit tricky, but I don't know if that was one of them.
"Ultimately I need to go and have a look, but I think just a case of trying a little bit too hard and paying the price."
Can McLaren still challenge for victory?
Both Norris and Piastri played down McLaren's hopes of fighting back for victory on Sunday, with the Brit claiming Red Bull have too much pace to be caught.
"I think Red Bull is too quick. They're just as quick as us, easily," Norris said.
"They were very fast today. I think in these conditions, the Red Bull was performing well, even Yuki (Tsunoda) was up there, so clearly the Red Bull was working well around here.
"It's a long race, a lot of opportunities can come our way. It's not an easy track to overtake on, but it's still possible. I'll do my homework tonight and prepare the best I can."
Piastri added: "I think the win is ambitious but let's wait and see.
"I think we can definitely make progress. The car has been quick this weekend and hopefully we can use that to make progress."
Verstappen, however, expects the McLaren to quickly fight their way back into contention.
Asked where he expects a challenge to come from, Verstappen told Sky Sports F1: "Still from them (McLaren), naturally.
"I know that they are further back but I think some of these cars they will clear quite quick, because we are normally a bit faster."
Sky Sports F1's Azerbaijan GP schedule
Sunday September 21
7.55am: F2 Feature Race
10.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Azerbaijan GP build-up*
12pm: THE AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX*
2pm: Chequered Flag: Azerbaijan GP reaction
3pm: Ted's Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 is in Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with lights out on Sunday at 12pm and build-up from 10.30am, live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
