McLaren's Sunday of damage limitation as title party looms in Baku

Team principal Andrea Stella admitted McLaren’s strategy calls during an incident-packed (including Piastri's shunt) Qualifying session in Baku on Saturday contributed to their struggles in a session that saw six Red Flags and changing conditions.

Stella defended the decision to send Norris out first in Q3, a move that left him exposed to a track that was still drying while rivals found more grip later. “There was a bit of pressure with time, there’s pressure with yellow flags.

“I think in our condition, it was important to put a lap together. Ultimately, the lap didn’t come as well 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.”

Norris was more critical of the decision, admitting it left him disadvantaged when it mattered most: “I think it was a mistake from my side, from our side, to go out the pit lane first. If there was a yellow flag further back or a red, we would have looked like the heroes and everyone else would have looked like losers.

"Now I kind of look like the loser and them the heroes, but it’s the price you pay sometimes around here and the risks you’ve got to take," explained the Englishman.

He added that the conditions magnified the difference: “It was still spitting a little bit, so I think anyone who was further back, just more grip. Just a decision that didn’t work out in the end. Something we’ll review and try to do better next time.”

Norris also brushed the wall at Turn 15 but played down its impact. “I didn’t have a delta so I don’t know how much I lost. Two tenths maybe, so a couple of positions, but not 1.1 seconds to Max,” he said.

Piastri’s session ended in the barriers after locking up in Q3, leaving him frustrated with a missed opportunity: “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 McLaren driver admitted he may have overreached as the conditions worsened: “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 thinkit's just a case of trying a little bit too hard and paying the price.”

Looking ahead to the race, Piastri remained pragmatic: “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.”

With Verstappen on pole, Carlos Sainz starting second for Williams and Liam Lawson a surprise third for Racing Bulls, McLaren have ground to make up in Baku.

For Stella, Norris and Piastri, the focus now turns to damage limitation and salvaging points from what the team will regard as one of their most disappointing Saturdays of the year. The maths says that McLaren need a 1-3 or 1-2 finish today in Baku to wrap up the 2025 F1 Constructors' title with seven races to go.

A very real possibility before fate threw a spanner in the works on Saturday, now it is a tough ask, but this is Formula 1 and anything can happen. And normally does to quote a legend!