'It didn't make any difference' - McLaren deny slow pit stop cost Norris

McLaren's Baku wobble suggests Lando Norris may be a risky pick for top-5 finishes on tight, anti-overtaking circuits; punters might prefer safer value on Red Bull or Ferrari for podiums. If McLaren's pit-stop and race pace issues persist, expect odds to shorten for rivals in upcoming street races, making podium and over/under lap markets more predictable for outsiders.

McLaren Blames Pace, Not Pit-Stop, After Norris Finishes Seventh in Baku

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella insisted a slow pit stop was not the decisive factor as Lando Norris finished seventh at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Despite Oscar Piastri crashing out on lap one, Norris remained stuck in a DRS train for much of the 51-lap race and could not convert strategy into significant gains.

Race Summary: Missed Chance in the Streets of Baku

Norris started and finished in seventh, spending long stints behind traffic and unable to effect decisive overtakes. McLaren delayed his single pit stop until lap 37 in a bid to undercut rivals, but a 4.1-second service — his second slow stop in recent races — left him still behind Charles Leclerc, who was closely following another car at the time. Norris later reclaimed a position from Leclerc, but the net gain was limited.

Stella: Car Performance, Not Stop, Tells the Story

Stella argued the issue was underlying car pace rather than the stop itself. He said the team would investigate whether even a perfect pit stop could have changed the outcome, but stressed that a faster car would have enabled overtakes and free-air performance. Stella acknowledged pit stops remain an area for improvement as race margins tighten.

Norris Rejects "Missed Opportunity" Narrative

Norris pushed back against suggestions he squandered a golden weekend. He maintained he had done everything he could across qualifying and the race, noting overtaking was nearly impossible in Baku’s close-pack conditions. While disappointed, he emphasized that many races present opportunities and that this result alone did not define his campaign.

Driver Takeaway

Norris said the pace felt acceptable on long stints and that changes from Saturday did not substantially alter Sunday’s prospects. He reflected more on qualifying misses as a contributing factor rather than on race execution alone.

Piastri's Costly Errors Turn a Promising Weekend into a Nightmare

Oscar Piastri endured a dramatic and costly weekend. After an initial jump at the start, he stopped and fell to the back, then misjudged the approach to Turn Five on lap one and hit the barriers, forcing retirement and triggering a Safety Car. Piastri described his mistakes as simple lapses in judgment rather than overdriving and said he hoped these uncharacteristic errors were isolated to this event.

Impact on the Championship

Piastri’s zero score trimmed the opportunity for challengers, as he still leads the championship by 25 points over Norris, with seven grands prix weekends remaining. Max Verstappen’s win moved him into contention, now 69 points adrift of Piastri after successive victories.

Strategic and Technical Lessons for McLaren

McLaren faces two clear takeaways: validate pit-stop procedures to avoid repeat slow services, and address race-pace shortcomings that prevent overtaking and extracting full potential in free air. With intra-team championship dynamics and street circuits ahead, both reliability under pressure and single-lap performance will be critical.

Outlook for Upcoming Races

The title fight tightens as teams head to more circuits where overtaking can be limited. McLaren must patch the small margins — in the pits and on track — if they are to protect their championship positions. For bettors, recent trends suggest reassessing McLaren’s odds at street-style venues until the team demonstrates clearer pace and pit-stop consistency.

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella insisted a slow pit-stop did not prove fundamental to Lando Norris only finishing seventh in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Sky Sports