Last Updated on September 16 2024, 10:02 am
Norris explains his role in Piastri’s Baku victory: “I didn’t drive slow on purpose, but…” – In a thrilling Formula One Grand Prix in Baku, Lando Norris made an impressive recovery from 15th on the grid to finish fourth, while his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri celebrated his second Grand Prix victory.
Reflecting on his performance, Norris was surprised to have beaten reigning champion Max Verstappen and acknowledged that he played a small but pivotal role in Piastri’s triumph. Meanwhile, the British media are in awe of Lando Norris after a stunning Baku comeback from a qualifying disaster, but Piastri’s win was overlooked.
The 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a momentous occasion for McLaren, with both their drivers producing outstanding performances. However, while Oscar Piastri secured a sensational victory, much of the British media’s focus was on Lando Norris, whose fourth-place finish ahead of Max Verstappen earned much praise. There was a noticeable bias in the coverage, with Piastri’s remarkable rookie performance largely overshadowed by the celebration of Norris’ recovery.
BBC Sport: Praise for Norris, but little mention of Piastri
BBC Sport, one of the most influential voices in British motorsport coverage, led with praise for Lando Norris, focusing on his ability to overtake Max Verstappen during the race. While Piastri’s win was acknowledged, the emphasis was on Norris’ individual performance rather than his teammate’s victory.
“Lando Norris drove an extraordinary race to catch and overtake title rival Max Verstappen,” wrote BBC Sport, neglecting to explore in depth how Piastri drove a flawless race to secure his second career victory. Instead, the focus was on Norris’ comeback from 15th on the grid, although Piastri’s triumph at the front was arguably the more remarkable achievement.
Although the BBC acknowledged Piastri’s victory, it was Norris’ charge through the field that dominated their coverage. The article reflected a subtle nationalist bias, with British riders such as Norris and Oliver Bearman receiving more attention, while Piastri’s win – though impressive – was treated almost as a sideshow.
The Mirror: Norris keeps title hopes alive, Piastri sidelined
The Mirror followed a similar pattern, focusing on Norris’ comeback and how it contributed to McLaren’s rise to the top of the Constructors’ Championship. Despite Oscar Piastri’s key role in that success, The Mirror’s coverage seemed more concerned with Norris’ impact on the title race than giving Piastri’s victory the spotlight it deserved.
“McLaren took pole position in the Teams’ Championship as Lando Norris kept his title hopes alive with a superb comeback,” the article read.
Piastri’s duel with pole-sitter Charles Leclerc, in which the young Australian eventually overhauled his rival to secure victory, was relegated to secondary importance. The Mirror pointed out that Norris had come from 15th on the grid to finish fourth, overshadowing Piastri’s front-running performance throughout the race.
The narrative seemed skewed, with the British press focusing on the local hero rather than the international rookie who had just taken his second Grand Prix win. Piastri’s coolness under pressure and his ability to fend off Leclerc’s attacks were briefly mentioned, but not analysed in the same detail as Norris’ performance.
Daily Mail: Norris’ comeback story steals the headlines
The Daily Mail took an even more nationalistic approach, portraying Norris as the central figure of the race, with Piastri’s victory relegated to a secondary storyline. The paper highlighted Norris’ championship hopes, saying that his impressive comeback from 15th on the grid proved that his title ambitions were still very much alive.
“It looked like everything was over and then the body twitched. That is how Lando Norris’ championship hopes refused to die,” wrote the Daily Mail, portraying Norris as the protagonist of a race in which Piastri drove flawlessly to victory. Piastri’s performance was mentioned, but not treated with the same enthusiasm.
While the article acknowledged Piastri’s impressive defensive driving against Charles Leclerc, it was Norris’ recovery that took precedence. The Mail’s coverage reflected a clear preference for the British driver’s story, with little exploration of how Piastri had not only won the race, but handled immense pressure from Ferrari’s lead driver.
“Actually, the star of a captivating race was the other McLaren, Oscar Piastri,” the article admitted, but this acknowledgement came late in the piece and lacked the detail and passion with which Norris’ drive was described. Piastri’s triumph, remarkable for a rookie, was lost in the focus on Norris’s fightback.
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Piastri’s strategic gamble and Norris’ help
Regardless of how the UK tabloids presented the Grand Prix result, the Baku Grand Prix was an exciting race in every respect, with the teams employing a variety of strategies to outmanoeuvre each other. One of the key moments of the race came when Oscar Piastri, in contention for victory, risked losing time by not reacting immediately to Sergio Perez’s pit stop. This could have allowed Perez to gain crucial seconds in the so-called “undercut”, where an early pit stop can lead to faster laps and a positional advantage once the rival driver pits.
However, Lando Norris was in a position to slow down Perez’s progress. Stuck behind Alexander Albon, he saved his tyres and kept Perez at bay just long enough for his team-mate Piastri to maintain his lead.
“I wasn’t going slow on purpose, but I was stuck behind Alexander [Albon] and had to save my tyres,” explained Norris after the race.
“That way I was able to help [Piastri] stay in front. It was for the team and that’s what we have to do. It didn’t affect my race, but it helped Oscar. To do that and finish fourth was great.”
From 15th to fourth: a race of comebacks
Qualifying for the Baku Grand Prix did not go to plan for Norris. The British driver could only manage 17th place after a yellow flag ruined one of his promising laps. However, several problems for other drivers helped him secure a better starting position for the race from 15th on the grid. Key incidents included the disqualification of Pierre Gasly and the relegation of Lewis Hamilton to a pit lane start.
Despite starting further back than expected, Norris’ alternative strategy of starting the race on hard tyres paid off. He quickly made his way into the top ten, only to be held back by Albon, who was also running on hard tyres. Next to him, Pierre Gasly was holding up several drivers on medium tyres, including big names like Max Verstappen and George Russell, who had pitted early.
The key moment came after Fernando Alonso had pitted, freeing up Norris’ pace on the track. Norris pushed hard, pitted on lap 38 and began his pursuit of Verstappen. His efforts culminated in a thrilling overtaking manoeuvre to secure fourth place and a satisfying end to a challenging race.
“We couldn’t have expected more today,” said Norris, obviously pleased with his performance. He also picked up a crucial bonus point for the fastest lap, reducing his points deficit to Verstappen from 62 to 59.
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Strategy and pace key to McLaren’s success
McLaren’s strategy was a crucial element in Norris’ successful drive. With his team opting for hard tyres at the start, Norris was able to build momentum and stay in contention throughout the race. He admitted that while eighth place would have been a respectable result, especially given his grid position, the team’s strategy and his strong riding allowed him to aim higher.
“We would have been happy with eighth place because we are one of the top four teams and I would have been the last car. We had a good start and a good strategy,” said Norris.
“I would have liked to pass Alexander [Albon] earlier. He made life difficult for us. After he stopped, my pace on the track was the best. I built up a good lead on the hard tyres and used my potential to the full.”
He noted that his car felt “perfect” during the race, adding that it “flew” and performed brilliantly on the hard tyres, which helped him maintain a competitive pace. Norris’ only frustration was his unfortunate qualifying result, which left him on the back foot at the start of the race.
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Beating Verstappen: A surprise performance
Although Norris’ ultimate goal was to perform well for the team, he was pleasantly surprised to beat Max Verstappen in the process. Having started from 15th on the grid, Norris was expecting to finish somewhere in midfield, which makes his fourth-place finish all the more remarkable.
“I didn’t expect to beat [Verstappen] from 15th,” admitted a smiling Norris.
“Realistically, I was 20 to 22 seconds behind him. I didn’t expect to beat him.” His surprise was shared by many fans and pundits, who noted how well McLaren had exceeded expectations on the challenging Baku circuit.
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McLaren’s resurgence in the Constructors’ Championship
In the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren’s strong performance in Baku helped them leapfrog rivals Red Bull to take the lead. Piastri’s victory, combined with Norris’ fourth place, underlined McLaren’s growing competitiveness this season. The team’s resurgence has been attributed to a combination of strong strategy, excellent driver performances and an increasingly competitive car.
With both drivers contributing to McLaren’s success, the team will now look to build on this momentum and continue their charge in the championship.
In a season full of surprises, Lando Norris’ performance in Baku may be one of the most satisfying – not just for the driver himself, but for McLaren fans who now have every reason to believe in their team’s resurgence.
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Just when Sergio Perez thought it was safe to go out in the F1 paddock in Baku, a last lap battle with Charles Leclerc saw the Mexican driver lose out to his team mate once again. Checo was on for a podium finish when he bailed out of a late overtake move on Charles Leclerc.
The Ferrari driver looked doomed having reported his rear tyres were finished two laps earlier, yet somehow Perez decided he couldn’t complete the overtake backing out and taking the inside line. Carlos Sainz seeing an opportunity went around the outside and was ahead as the pair dulled out of turn two in Baku.
Replays suggests Perez was unlucky as Sainz thinking he had more room than he did, began to move towards the centre of the track. He hooked Sergio’s right front with his rear left and the pair were in the…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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British press reporting on a British driver??? What is the world coming to??
Not only is it totally unreasonable for British media to favour British drivers, but especially so as one of them has improved his chance of winning the championship…..can’t imagine other nationalities behaving so despicably!
Well at least there was a union jack on the winners flag 😀
You could argue that 15th to 4th is more impressive than 2nd to 1st, especially when it’s a Ferrari in 1st place since Ferrari usually screw up their own race.. I mean they said the star of the race was Piastri, what more do they want? People like seeing recovery drives like that, and many would say it’s a better drive than just moving up 1 or 2 places..