Lando Norris expressed dissatisfaction with McLaren’s performance on Friday in Baku. “We are too far behind the others,” the British driver stated after the second free practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. “People assume we are fast on every circuit. That’s not the case.”
Norris is seen as a serious challenger to Max Verstappen in the fight for the world title. The Brit has been steadily closing the gap on the Dutchman for weeks. Prior to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the difference is still 62 points, with eight GPs and three sprint races to go.
“But on this circuit, Ferrari is strong, Mercedes can also be fast,” Norris said after the second free practice in Baku. It’s clear that Red Bull also made a better impression on Friday than in recent weeks. Norris’s conclusion regarding the rival teams: “We are still too far behind the rest.”
The fact that the Brit finished only seventeenth in VT2 doesn’t tell the whole story, as Alpine driver Pierre Gasly held him up during a fast lap. However, Norris didn’t blame his French colleague in Baku. “He misjudged the situation, but my lap was almost over by then. Even without this incident, it wasn’t fast enough. We have work to do.”
