Lando Norris admits that he hoped the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was about to end after 20 laps in what he felt was a “long” race. The McLaren driver started from P7 on the grid but, after making a pit stop just before an early Safety Car period, found himself stuck behind Nico Hulkenberg for much of the afternoon, with the Haas on a different strategy. Norris made a move on Hulkenberg in the latter stages of the 51-lap event and ultimately finished in P9, a result that he feels was the best the team could have hoped for. Norris reflects on ‘long’ race in Baku “[It was a] long race – 20 laps in I was hoping it was the end already!” Norris told Sky Sports F1 . “We were just unlucky [that] the Safety Car came out a lap after we boxed. We didn’t really lose out in actual positions, we just lost out to the two cars, Hulkenberg and [Esteban] Ocon, that had to stop still. “[It] probably didn’t make much of a difference, but in terms of just going out, I guess maybe I probably would have been in no man’s land if I was ahead of them, because the rest of the guys would have cleared off. “So [we were] in a bit of a race of our own, in terms of pace, I would say. “[We got] a good couple of points, [that’s the] best we could have asked for today, so I have to be happy with that.” Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri finished just outside of the points in P11, but the team remain in P5 in the Constructors’ standings after the Baku weekend.
Source: Read More