The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend delivered an exhilarating race, but it was not without controversy. Oscar Piastri took home his second Grand Prix victory, while Lando Norris, who finished a commendable fourth, was left fuming over what he deemed an “unfair” qualifying session.
Norris started the race from P15 due to a yellow flag during his qualifying session, yet managed to execute a long stint on hard tires, eventually pitting and overtaking Max Verstappen to push through the field to P4.
Despite starting from such a disadvantaged position, the young Briton ended just shy of the podium, an achievement he wasn’t fully able to appreciate. The seeds of his frustration were sown during a difficult qualifying session, where a questionable yellow flag thwarted his progress into Q2.
“No, it wasn’t fair. You don’t have to be a scientist to work it out. I know I got a fourth today and that’s not bad, but it could have been better. I think Oscar showed what was possible today. It was unfair,” exclaimed Norris.
Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren walks in the Paddock prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 15, 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Norris fumes over the yellow flag which ruined his Baku campaign.
James Sutton/Getty Images
“There was no yellow the whole lap and they put a yellow out just as I came past. Did I go off the track just before it? Yes. Would I still easily have got into the top 15? Yes.”
Norris’ assertion that the yellow flag compromised his performance resonates deeply, given that the extra points could have a significant impact on his standings, and of course, in his championship fight against Max Verstappen, who he currently trails by 59 points.
“Yes, people can say what they want. I find a lot of it funny, but this was out of my control and it was something that was unfair and cost me a good amount of points in the championship today and ruined my weekend,” he said.
At the other end of the Papaya garage, Oscar Piastri celebrated a career-defining win. He perfectly managed his race, holding off Charles Leclerc for 35 tense laps after executing a bold move on Lap 20 that secured his race-leading position.
Reflecting on his performance, Piastri said the following as reported by Newsweek Sports.
“I tried, at the start to get in front, but once I got out of DRS I didn’t have the pace. After the stop, I saw we were pretty close again. I felt like we had a bit of extra grip and thought we had to go for it because I thought I’d never get past otherwise.
“I went for a big lunge and hung on for dear life for the next 35 laps.
“The last couple of laps were a little bit more relaxing but there’s no such thing as a relaxing lap.”
The McLaren team has risen from the bottom to the very top in such a short amount of time.
“Where we started when I joined, we were literally last. Now we are leading the championship. Full credit to the team. Results like this weren’t possible 12 months ago,” Piastri said.
Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc finished second after a relentless battle with the Australian and George Russell clinched third after a chaotic final lap that saw a clash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz prompting a virtual safety car.
2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Results
1. Oscar Piastri
2. Charles Leclerc
3. George Russell
4. Lando Norris
5. Max Verstappen
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Alex Albon
8. Franco Colapinto
9. Lewis Hamilton
10. Ollie Bearman
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Pierre Gasly
13. Daniel Ricciardo
14. Zhou Guanyu
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Valtteri Bottas
17. Carlos Sainz – DNF
18. Sergio Perez – DNF
19. Lance Stroll – DNF
20. Yuki Tsunoda – DNF
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