McLaren’s Team Orders Under Scrutiny: Villeneuve Questions Norris’ Role in Piastri’s Baku Victory

Jacques Villeneuve questions Lando Norris on McLaren's team directives during the Baku race

Lando Norris responds to inquiries about his stance on team orders

Lando Norris expressed his satisfaction at having contributed in a minor way to Oscar Piastri's win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Formula 1.

Beginning from the 15th position following an early elimination in the first qualifying session, Norris had to take on an important task to ensure Piastri remained in front of Sergio Perez during the pit stops.

Norris skillfully blocked Perez, intentionally slowing down the Red Bull driver in the middle section of the circuit.

Piastri pitted one lap after Perez and importantly came back out in front.

This enabled Piastri to advance and eventually surpass Leclerc, securing the victory.

Following the race, Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 world champion, inquired whether Norris found it "challenging" to comply with team directives.

Norris responded by saying, "It's difficult. I was trapped behind Alex at that moment, so there wasn't much I could do. I didn't reduce my speed; I just conserved my tires a bit more."

"It enabled Oscar to maintain his lead and possibly secure a victory. I'm glad I contributed and had a minor role in that. I don't believe it set me back. It's always uncertain."

"I was trapped behind Alex, so I don’t believe it affected my result. However, it did impact Oscar's result, and that was my responsibility—to assist Oscar."

Norris's performance improved significantly once he had open track following Alex Albon's pit stop.

Norris believed he could leverage his ability to manage the tyres effectively once he had clear track ahead, before passing Max Verstappen in the final laps.

"The main concern was the durability of the hard tires. In turbulent air, tires can wear out faster. It's up to the driver to decide whether to push hard to overtake, or to conserve the tires and then accelerate in clear air."

"One of my key abilities is maintaining speed during races and handling the tyres effectively. We anticipated that Ferrari would be our primary competitors at Monza, here, and in Singapore. Carlos and Charles have consistently challenged us. We expect Ferrari to perform well next weekend."

"Our car performs excellently at both medium and high speeds. We face more challenges at lower speeds, but it was evident that we had the fastest car on the track today. I'm pleased with the outcome; I didn't anticipate it would be this impressive."

McLaren is leading the constructors' championship for the first time since 2014, marking a 10-year milestone.

Lando Norris acknowledged that he benefited from a stroke of luck when two cars ahead of him collided, aiding his progress. He noted that his car's speed was impressive, especially towards the end of the initial stint on hard tires once Alex was no longer in his path. Norris expressed satisfaction with the team's overall performance and was particularly thrilled for Oscar. He highlighted the significance of McLaren being at the forefront of the constructors' championship for the first time in several years, and felt proud to have contributed to this achievement.

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