The Qualifying session around the Baku City Circuit was eventful, and the results surprising – to say the least. The McLaren duo entered the weekend as clear favorites, but the session told a different story. Oscar Piastri ended his session in the TechPro barrier, while Lando Norris clipped the wall, losing time and, with it, the chance for pole. Safe to say: McLaren’s Azerbaijan Qualifying session didn’t go to plan.
Fans have been quick to criticize the Woking-based team’s strategy, following a red-flagged session halt. Team principal, Andrea Stella, has weighed in on the matter.
McLaren’s Azerbaijan Qualifying session ended in disappointment
The qualifying session came to a complete stop after Pastri‘s MCL39 found the barrier in Turn 3. Once the session resumed, McLaren decided to send Norris out first – on a “green” track – to secure a time on the sheet. The Briton had pace and looked on course for pole, but a brush with the wall on corner exit cost him a front row start.
Andrea Stella on Q3: “Lando had no lap time on the board. We have a competitive car. The risk of yellow flags is very high. The conditions of the track were unclear. We wanted to make sure that we had a good tyre warm up. We thought that going first was the right thing to do.”
— Adam Cooper (@adamcooperF1) September 20, 2025
Andrea Stella explained the team’s decision as a precautionary move:
“Lando had no lap time on the board […] The risk of yellow flags is very high. The conditions on the track were unclear […] We thought that going first was the right thing to do.”
Although Stella stands by McLaren’s choice, sending out Norris as the head of the pack left him at a disadvantage on a track with less grip than his rivals. While he did put a time on the board, it ultimately compromised his chance to turn McLaren’s pace into a positive result.
Norris shares his take on McLaren’s qualifying strategy and missed opportunity
The McLaren driver starts the race in seventh position on race Sunday – a result that could have been avoided. According to Norris, the strategy didn’t work out in their favor.
The Briton said, “I think it was mistake from my side, from our side, to go out the pit lane first[…] I think everyone who was further back just had more grip.”
Norris also admits that had he not made the mistake, he could “have been a couple of positions further up”, which left him disappointed. It was, in the end, a matter of circumstance and timing that didn’t materialize into a desired result.
Looking ahead to race Sunday, the stakes are high with seven rounds left in the season. Every point counts in the Championship battle between the teammates, as Lando Norris trails Oscar Piastri by 31 points in the standings. Both drivers are starting outside the top five positions, but there’s pace in the car. They’ll both be aiming for a podium position, or even better yet, a win.
