Lando Norris faced a notable top-speed issue during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying, highlighting a broader straightline speed challenge for McLaren compared to Mercedes. Despite outqualifying teammate Oscar Piastri in most sessions this season, Norris was significantly slower in Baku, revealing technical and package-related factors behind the gap.
In qualifying, Norris recorded a top speed 3.4 km/h slower than Piastri, resulting in a three-tenths deficit in Q3—his largest qualifying gap to his teammate this year. The cause was traced to a technical problem affecting fuel injection in Norris’ McLaren MCL40, which occasionally led to power loss. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella confirmed this was an isolated issue specific to Norris’ car and not indicative of the overall power unit performance.
More broadly, McLaren continues to struggle with straightline speed compared to Mercedes, despite both teams using the same power unit supplier. George Russell’s Mercedes was measured at 8.1 km/h faster than Piastri and 11.5 km/h quicker than Norris during qualifying in Baku. This significant speed difference is attributed to Mercedes’ more effective overall package, including chassis design, aerodynamics, and gear ratios, rather than power unit exploitation.
McLaren acknowledges the need to improve aerodynamic drag and the efficiency of its car package to better compete on high-speed circuits. Norris himself pointed out that both the car’s aerodynamic efficiency and the way the power unit is exploited contribute to the speed deficit. The team is aware that addressing these areas is essential for closing the gap to Mercedes on straights.
The situation in Baku underlined how even small technical issues can have a noticeable impact on lap times, especially on circuits where top speed is critical. Norris’ fuel injection problem was a specific setback, but the wider challenge for McLaren remains the overall package’s ability to match Mercedes’ straightline performance.
While the power unit itself is not seen as the primary cause of the speed difference, the combination of chassis, aerodynamics, and gear ratios gives Mercedes a clear advantage. McLaren’s focus on reducing aerodynamic drag and improving package efficiency reflects the ongoing efforts to enhance competitiveness on fast tracks.
This episode highlights the complexity of performance in Formula 1®, where engine power is just one part of a larger system. McLaren’s experience in Baku serves as a reminder that technical reliability and package optimization are crucial to extracting maximum speed and lap time, especially when compared to benchmark teams like Mercedes.