Lando Norris delivered a blunt assessment of McLaren’s Azerbaijan GP prospects after finishing Thursday practice almost 1.5 seconds behind Mercedes at the Baku City Circuit.

Norris placed sixth in FP2 with a 1:44.831, leaving him 1.484s behind George Russell’s benchmark. Although the McLaren driver occupied a relatively conventional position within the leading group, the size of the deficit caused considerably greater concern.

“We’re miles off,” Norris told Ariana Bravo in an interview attended by GRANDE PRÊMIO in Baku. “We’re up there, let’s say, relatively. We’re in a position we expect to be in, but 1.5 seconds off the pace, so pretty pants.”

Asked whether McLaren could close the gap before qualifying, Norris responded with a question of his own: “Do you think we can close 1.5 seconds?”

“I hope so,” he continued. “I have no idea, so we’ll see what work we can do tonight. The car doesn’t feel that bad, so it’s just a little knife in the heart when you see how far off you are.”

Norris dismisses confidence question after difficult McLaren day

McLaren endured problems during FP1, when Norris completed only 14 laps and finished 14th, 1.594s away from Russell. The Briton said he did not have sufficient information to explain the team’s difficulties and directed technical questions towards McLaren.

“I don’t know that much about it, honestly, so it’s better to ask the team,” he said.

The situation improved in FP2, with Norris completing 22 laps and climbing to sixth. However, neither he nor Oscar Piastri appeared capable of challenging Mercedes. Piastri ended the session eighth, leaving both McLarens outside the top five.

When asked whether he at least felt confident behind the wheel around Baku, Norris made it clear that comfort mattered considerably less than performance.

“I don’t really care how confident I am in the car,” he said. “I just care about the pace, and we’re not very fast, so I don’t care. I drive whatever car I get given. I just want it to be quick.”

“It’s not very quick at the minute, but we’ll see what we can change for tomorrow,” Norris concluded.

The contradiction is what makes McLaren’s position particularly concerning. Norris did not describe an unpredictable or fundamentally undriveable car. The MCL does not feel especially bad—it is simply not producing the lap time required to fight Mercedes.

Russell led a Mercedes one-two ahead of Kimi Antonelli, while Norris also finished behind Max Verstappen and both Ferraris. The full Azerbaijan GP FP2 results are available here.

McLaren now has one final practice session to understand where the deficit originates before qualifying. FP3 begins on Friday at 09:30 UK time, with qualifying following at 13:00.

GRANDE PRÊMIO follows every session of the Azerbaijan GP LIVE and in REAL TIME.

F1 today: FAQ

What time is Singapore GP sprint qualifying today?

Sprint qualifying starts at 20:30 Singapore time on Friday, October 9, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 ET in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India. The session determines the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.

Who was fastest in Singapore GP FP1?

George Russell topped FP1 with a 1:32.274, driving Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic specification. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198s behind, followed by Lando Norris in third. Kimi Antonelli was seventh with the upgraded Mercedes, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th.

Why is George Russell using the old Mercedes at the Singapore GP?

Mercedes is comparing its previous W17 specification with the aerodynamic upgrade introduced at Sepang. Russell is using the older package, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retains the new version. Russell led FP1, but differences in tyre compounds and run programmes mean the result alone does not establish which specification is faster.

Where did Lando Norris finish Azerbaijan GP FP2?

Norris finished sixth with a 1:44.831, 1.484s behind George Russell’s fastest time.