Lando Norris Subtly Hits out at McLaren over Worse Pitstops Compared to Oscar Piastri

Lando Norris was fed up with McLaren's slow pitstops after the Azerbaijan GP.

Lando Norris Subtly Hits out at McLaren over Worse Pitstops Compared to Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (via IMAGO)

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Lando Norris had a disappointing outing at the Azerbaijan GP. The British driver failed to set a good lap in Qualifying and started from P7 in the race. The race was not any better either. Norris could only score 6 points, with another slow pitstop by the McLaren crew. Now, the 25-year-old has expressed his frustration over the persistent slow stops.

At the Italian GP, Lando Norris had a two-second slower pitstop than teammate Oscar Piastri. This allowed Piastri to jump the Briton. Though McLaren instructed the Australian to give back the position. The Azerbaijan GP was the second race in a row when Norris had a poor stop as the front right tire almost got stuck.

Lando Norris lost crucial time in the pits in Baku. The 25-year-old came out of the pits behind Yuki Tsunoda‘s Red Bull and remained there till the end of the race. If he had a better stop, he could’ve scored more points on a day when Piastri had a DNF.

After the race, Lando Norris confessed that the slow pitstops didn’t seem like bad luck anymore. The 25-year-old was fed up with issues during races while his teammate seemed to have smoother operations. This is the first time when Norris has made such direct comments, showing that he is not happy with how things are at McLaren at the moment.

Honestly, twice in two races doesn’t feel like bad luck anymore. It’s frustrating when it’s always my side having the issues, while the other garage seems to run a bit smoother.

Lando Norris said post-race

Lando Norris asserts McLaren ‘not easy to drive’

McLaren has arguably had the fastest car since the start of the season. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have won the most races this year. However, Max Verstappen is closing up to the two once again, with two consecutive wins in the last two races. While the Dutchman had an impressive weekend, McLaren had a poor showing as Piastri crashed twice in Baku.

Lando Norris (via RacingNews365)
Lando Norris (via RacingNews365)

Lando Norris reckoned that the McLaren was not an easy to drive car this year. The Briton pointed out that he and Piastri have made a few mistakes, showing that while the car can be incredibly quick, there is no margin for error. This might make things difficult for the McLaren drivers ahead of the last 7 races.

I think the mistakes Oscar’s made and I’ve made just prove it’s not an easy car to drive still, it can be unbelievably fast at times, but places like here and other tracks, it can still bite you..

Lando Norris added

Certainly, Lando Norris needs to bounce back at the next race in Singapore. The British driver wouldn’t be happy with himself after Baku. Norris should’ve scored much more points considering his teammate scored none. Yet, F1 is a brutal sport and the 25-year-old simply wasn’t fast enough on Sunday. Now, it remains to be seen how things shape up in the coming races.

Read More: Lewis Hamilton ‘Couldn’t Care Less’ About Azerbaijan GP Finish After dismal run