McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured a stunning victory at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but the win came with a crucial assist from teammate Lando Norris, who played a pivotal role in holding off Red Bull’s Sergio Perez during a key moment of the race.
Despite starting 15th after a disappointing qualifying session ruined by an ill-timed caution, Norris used strategic positioning and racecraft to disrupt Perez’s charge, which ultimately benefited Piastri in securing McLaren’s victory. As Norris held up Perez, it prevented the Mexican from executing an undercut on Piastri, who pitted two laps later and retained his position. This allowed Piastri to overtake Charles Leclerc and eventually clinch his second career victory.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Norris expressed his satisfaction in contributing to the team’s success:
“I didn’t slow down, I just saved my tyres a little bit more as they were overheating a little bit. It allowed Oscar to stay ahead and potentially get the win today, so I’m happy to know I played a small part in that.”
Although his own chances of a podium were hindered by a challenging start, Norris acknowledged the team-first mentality that guided his actions:
“That was my job out there today, to help Oscar out and to come away with a first and a fourth was perfect.”
Starting on the Hard compound tyres, Norris managed to stay competitive and gradually worked his way up the field, catching up to Williams driver Alex Albon during an extended stint. Albon’s pit stop released Norris into clean air, allowing him to fend off Max Verstappen on newer Hard tyres and minimize the gap to the reigning champion.
Once Norris switched to Mediums on Lap 38, he quickly reeled in Verstappen, eventually securing an impressive fourth-place finish. He also posted the fastest lap of the race, earning an additional point towards his title hopes. Reflecting on his race, Norris admitted:
“I don’t think we could have asked for a lot more today… A good start, good strategy. The car was flying, which almost made me more annoyed about yesterday and how silly that yellow flag was.”
Norris was pleasantly surprised to have beaten Verstappen, closing the Dutchman’s championship lead to 59 points with seven races remaining. Reflecting on the gap he overturned, Norris added:
“When you start 15th, you don’t really expect to beat him… But to create a gap ahead of him and then to box and to still overtake him. I wasn’t expecting that.”
With McLaren now firmly in the hunt for both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, Norris’s performance in Baku underlines the team’s momentum as the 2024 season intensifies.
