McLaren to examine Norris’s power-unit deployment concern

Mercedes was markedly quicker than McLaren on Baku’s straights during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, despite the two teams using Mercedes engines. In qualifying, George Russell was eight tenths of a second ahead of Oscar Piastri and 1.1 seconds ahead of Lando Norris. Autosport reports that Russell deployed energy more effectively through sector two and reached a top speed up to 10km/h higher than Piastri’s on the long straight. Those differences do not, by themselves, account for the entire lap-time gap. [1]

Autosport also identifies McLaren’s struggles in Baku’s slow corners and its relative lack of aerodynamic efficiency on the straights. The MCL40’s shorter gearing than the works Mercedes car cost it some top-end speed, although McLaren technical director Neil Houldey has said the ratios offer performance opportunities elsewhere. McLaren chose not to make a mid-season gearing change. [1]

Team principal Andrea Stella said McLaren’s upgrades had improved the car, but were not extensive enough to overcome its weakness in Baku’s slow corners. He said the team extracted nearly all it could from the power unit in qualifying, while some aspects of its race use were not optimised. Norris also had a qualifying power deficit that Autosport says was thought to be linked to fuel injection. Stella said the problem appeared intermittently in the race, including on Piastri’s car. [1]

The pace deficit was not the only reason McLaren left Baku without a point. Piastri finished 13th after locking up at Turn 1, while Norris lost three places when he went off at the same corner before a safety car. [1]

Update

McLaren has made Lando Norris’s power-unit deployment difficulties at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix a high-priority issue to examine before the next race in Malaysia, RacingNews365 reports. Team principal Andrea Stella told media, including the outlet, that Norris had also been inconsistent in his driving. [2]