Lando Norris has expressed that he was satisfied to have managed a “small part” in helping McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri win Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Norris’ own prospects in Baku had been hampered when an ill-timed caution period ruined his last attempt in Q1 and resigned him to starting the race down the order.
However, Norris, who lined up 15th, was able to boost Piastri’s hopes when the Briton held up Red Bull‘s Sergio Perez, who was angling to undercut the other McLaren.
Perez’s progress being disrupted behind Norris enabled Piastri to box two laps later and retain the place, where he then proceeded to pass Charles Leclerc to triumph.
“At that point I was still kind of stuck behind Alex [Albon], so I couldn’t do a lot,” Norris told Sky Sports F1.
“I didn’t slow down, I just saved my tyres a little bit more as they were overheating a little bit.
“It allowed Oscar to stay ahead and potentially get the win today, so I’m happy to know I played a small part in that, and for us as a team, that’s what we need to do.
“I don’t think that changed the outcome [for me], but it changed the outcome for Oscar, and that was the most important thing.
“That was my job out there today, to help Oscar out and to come away with a first and a fourth was perfect.”
Good start crucial for Norris
Norris began on the Hard compound but was still able to make up ground in the opening laps to catch up to Albon’s Williams, who was also running an extended stint.
The Anglo-Thai driver’s stop released Norris into clean air and he managed to resist Verstappen’s advances on newer Hard rubber to minimise the gap to his title rival.
Once Norris made his own pit stop to switch across to the Mediums on Lap 38, the McLaren driver caught the Dutchman with ease to secure an eventual fourth place.
“I don’t think we could have asked for a lot more today,” Norris admitted.
“We would have been happy with eighth, as we just expected the top four teams to go with me being the eighth car.
“A good start, good strategy. I mean, I would have loved to have got past Alex a bit earlier. He made my life tough.
“As soon as Alex boxed, I think my pace was the best on track, even on the Hards from the beginning of the race.
“And I managed to create a good gap and just unlock all the potential that the car had.
“The car was flying, which almost made me more annoyed about yesterday and how silly that yellow flag was.”
Sainz/Perez crash lifts him up again
Alongside capitalising on Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez’s penultimate lap crash, Norris also posted the quickest race lap to earn another point towards his title hopes.
Norris has admitted he was surprised to beat Verstappen, who started sixth, to reduce the reigning F1 champion’s advantage to 59 points with seven races remaining.
Questioned on whether it was a shock to overturn an entire pit stop deficit to catch Verstappen, Norris stated: “When you start 15th, you don’t really expect to beat him.
“I was about 20-22 seconds behind on real terms where they were.
“But to create a gap ahead of him and then to box and to still overtake him. I wasn’t expecting that probably.”
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