Max Verstappen certified for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on pole whereas Lando Norris might handle solely seventh after McLaren team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri crashed out
Lando Norris refused to confess a chance missed regardless of title rival Oscar Piastri crashing out of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Aussie smashed up his McLaren in one among a swathe of incidents throughout an action-packed session in Baku.
Qualifying was stopped SIX occasions for crashes – a brand new Method 1 file – and took two hours to finish as chaos reigned on the streets of the Azerbaijani capital. For context, that’s 45 minutes longer than it took for Max Verstappen to win your entire Italian Grand Prix from pole two weeks in the past.
The Dutchman prevented all of the drama to take pole, however Norris needed to accept seventh and can begin at this time’s race simply two locations above his McLaren team-mate. However when requested by Sky Sports activities if it was an opportunity wasted in his title bid, he swiftly replied: “Nope.”
The Brit elaborated: “It was only a mistake from my facet, from our facet, to exit of the pit lane first. If there was a yellow flag or a pink, we’d have regarded just like the heroes, however now I form of seem like the loser. That is the worth you pay generally round right here, and the danger you’re taking. Only a choice that did not work out.”
What irked Norris most was that his finest effort was greater than a full second slower than Verstappen’s pole lap. And he pointed at that as he hinted that driving from seventh on the grid to victory shall be a tall order, even with some vehicles beginning forward of the McLarens misplaced when it comes to automotive efficiency.
He added: “I needed extra. It feels prefer it hurts a bit as a result of this isn’t regular for us. I made a mistake which value a few locations however the remainder of the lap wasn’t the place it wanted to be, the grip wasn’t there. Pink Bull are simply too fast. They’re simply as fast as us, simply.”
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The chaos created a mixed-up grid with Carlos Sainz on the entrance row with Verstappen in his Williams. Liam Lawson additionally shocked with a time fast sufficient for third on at this time’s grid with rookie Kimi Antonelli fourth, forward of George Russell for simply the second time all yr.
But it surely was a shocker for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc crashed out earlier than Piastri in Q3, confirming the tip of his exceptional run which noticed him take pole place for the Baku race on every of his earlier 4 visits to this circuit. Lewis Hamilton did not even make it that far.
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“Actually, I’m so disillusioned,” mentioned the seven-time F1 champion who certified twelfth. “Our tempo has been good, we have been progressing, and I used to be feeling actually on it. It is simply that we did not have the suitable tyre on on the finish.”
Hamilton mentioned he was overruled by Ferrari after requesting the medium tyre, including: “The selection was taken to not [use] it. I needed to, however they mentioned the warm-up was too lengthy. I actually thought I’d be capturing for pole at this time, so it is come as a little bit of a shock.”
