Norris: « I made no mistake! »
8th at the finish of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lando Norris wanted to highlight his good performance this weekend aboard his McLaren.
The strong form of McLaren, anticipated since winter testing, was finally confirmed during this race in Baku. Scoring its first double points finish since the start of the season, the British team secured a full haul of points in Azerbaijan. Bringing 10 points home, the Woking-based team now grabs the coveted fourth place with 18 points, but only 1 point ahead of Racing Point in fifth.
Eighth, Lando Norris proudly looks at his fourth Grand Prix in the premier category of motorsport: « overall, it’s a good race for us as a team. A double points finish, the first of the year, which is a good thing. The whole race was pretty good. My start was probably my best of the whole year, and I made no mistakes. »
This new entry into the points grants the young rookie the 9th place in the driver standings. A good result for a beginner, knowing that the 6th place and the 9th are separated by only one point. A smashing start in Formula 1 that could make people forget former McLaren recruit Stoffel Vandoorne.
Even though the British driver lost a place to his more experienced teammate, Carlos Sainz, due to a second pit stop under Virtual Safety Car on the 38th lap, he managed to bring the car back in one piece on this tricky street circuit.
A team performance that especially allows McLaren to seize fourth place in the overall standings. If in 2018 the papaya-colored cars also achieved this feat, it was not due to race incidents, but rather their pure pace. The MCL34 seems to be a well-born car, as competitive in qualifying as in races. It remains to be seen if it can maintain this pace for the rest of the season and triumph in an extremely tight midfield.
A double points finish for the team as the chequered flag waves in Baku. 🏁 Carlos finishes in P7, Lando P8. Nice job, team. 🤝#AzerbaijanGP 🇦🇿 pic.twitter.com/1b8k8NCLxo
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) April 28, 2019
