Lando Norris fumes after Azerbaijan Grand Prix: “It was unfair”

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was an exhilarating race, but it was not without controversy. Oscar Piastri took his second Grand Prix victory, while Lando Norris, who finished a respectable fourth, was left furious after what he called an “unfair” qualifying session.

Norris started the race from 15th due to a yellow flag in his qualifying session, but managed to complete a long stint on hard tyres, eventually pitting and passing Max Verstappen to move up through the field to fourth.

Despite a disadvantaged starting position, the young Briton finished just off the podium, an achievement he failed to appreciate. The seeds of his frustration were sown during a difficult qualifying session, where a questionable yellow flag thwarted his progress into Q2.

“No, it wasn’t fair. You don’t have to be a scientist to figure it out. I know I got a fourth today and that’s not bad, but it could have been better. I think Oscar showed what was possible today. It was unfair,” Norris exclaimed.

“There was no yellow the whole lap and they put a yellow just as I was passing. Did I go off track just before? Yes. Would I have still easily made it into the top 15? Yes.”

Norris’ claim that the yellow flag compromised his performance resonates deeply, given that the extra points could have a significant impact on his standings, and of course, in his championship battle with Max Verstappen, who he currently trails by 59 points.

“Yes, people can say what they want. I find it funny in a lot of situations, but it was out of my control and it was something unfair that cost me a lot of points in the championship today and ruined my weekend,” he said.

At the other end of the Papaya garage, Oscar Piastri celebrated a career-defining victory. He managed his race perfectly, holding off Charles Leclerc for 35 tense laps after executing a daring move on lap 20 that allowed him to secure the lead.

Reflecting on his performance, Piastri said the following, as reported by Newsweek Sports.

“I tried to get in front at the beginning, but once I got out of the DRS I didn’t have the pace anymore. After the stop I saw that we were quite close again. I felt that we had a bit more grip and I said to myself that we had to go flat out because I thought that I would never get past otherwise.”

“I tried a big lunge and held on for dear life for the next 35 laps.

“The last few laps have been a little more relaxing, but there is no such thing as a relaxing lap.”

The McLaren team went from the bottom of the ladder to the top in a very short space of time.

“When I started, we were literally last. Today we are leading the championship. All the credit goes to the team. Results like this were not possible 12 months ago,” Piastri said.

Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc finished second after a fierce battle with the Australian and George Russell claimed third after a chaotic final lap which saw Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz clash, prompting a virtual safety car.

2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Results

1. Oscar Piastri
2. Charles Leclerc
3. George Russell
4. Lando Norris
5. Max Verstappen
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Alex Albon
8. Franco Colapinto
9. Lewis Hamilton
10. Ollie Bearman
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Pierre Gasly
13. Daniel Ricciardo
14. Zhou Guanyu
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Valtteri Bottas
17. Carlos Sainz – Abandon
18. Sergio Perez – Abandon
19. Lance Stroll – Abandon
20. Yuki Tsunoda – Abandon