Norris says McLaren ‘miles off’ pace in Baku
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 24, 2026
Norris pace gap
Lando Norris said McLaren were “miles off” the pace in Baku after a day that left him searching for answers. He said the gap felt like “a little knife in the heart,” a sharp reflection of how far McLaren sat from the front of the field. Norris also said the car did not feel bad to drive, but it was “not very fast” at the moment, a simple assessment. He said he had “no idea” how McLaren could close the gap before FP3 and qualifying. Norris finished the day sixth. His comments made clear that McLaren had pace to find, and fast.
McLaren upgrades trouble
McLaren brought upgrades to its MCL40 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, but the first day of running did not give the team much clean data to build on. FP1 was disrupted by a floorboard issue on the upgraded car, and the problem cut into track time for both McLaren drivers. The team used cable ties as a temporary fix, a stopgap that underlined how much attention the new package still needed. Rob Marshall said several new parts had been introduced and that McLaren was still learning how to optimize them. That left the squad in a familiar but uncomfortable position, trying to judge fresh components while losing time on track. In a weekend where confidence and setup work matter from the first laps, the interruption mattered. McLaren had the parts on the car, but it did not have a full day to see what those parts could really do. The consequence showed up in the standings and in Norris’s blunt view of the pace.
Russell benchmark in Baku
George Russell set the pace, and McLaren spent the day chasing. Norris and Oscar Piastri finished about 1.5 seconds behind Russell, a margin that told the story better than any single lap time. Norris ended the day sixth, while Piastri was eighth and sat behind Pierre Gasly. The gap to the front was wide enough to raise immediate questions about McLaren’s speed over a single lap and its ability to unlock more from the upgraded MCL40 before qualifying. Norris’s comments matched the times. The car did not sound broken or undrivable, but it lacked the speed McLaren needed to fight at the top end of the order. That left the team with work to do on both sides of the garage, with Piastri also needing more from the package after ending the day behind Gasly. For McLaren, the challenge in Baku was plain. It had new parts, limited running and a blunt readout from its lead driver.
