Lando Norris Aims to Maintain Form Despite Concerns Over Baku Circuit

Lando Norris has been on a roll lately, clinching victories in two of the last four Grands Prix as McLaren seems to have found its stride. However, as he arrives in Baku, Norris admits that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix isn't exactly his favorite stop on the calendar.

Reflecting on his performance, Norris commented, "I'm doing some things better than last year," but he also confessed that Baku is "the one I've not been looking forward to." Despite the recent wins, a potential triumph in Madrid slipped through his fingers due to an unfortunately timed Virtual Safety Car.

During a media session in Baku, Norris was asked if being the reigning World Champion has lent him an extra edge in his ongoing challenge against Mercedes. He said, "I certainly think I'm doing some things better than last year, but it's not like I'm just doing a much better job than last season." He noted that his performances in the latter half of last season were equally strong, though perhaps underappreciated at the time.

Norris feels more consistent this year, particularly in extracting performance from a challenging car. "With the team, we're extracting everything we can out of the car," he remarked. "At the same time, I feel more relaxed than this point last year. I trust more in myself and my abilities, which certainly seems to help at times."

Despite his strong form, Norris has dismissed any ideas about challenging Kimi Antonelli for the drivers' title, as he trails by 106 points with nine races to go. Looking ahead to this weekend, Norris concedes that McLaren's 2026 car might struggle in Baku, a track devoid of the high-speed corners where the car excels.

"Certainly the pace has been there," Norris acknowledged, "but I think Baku will be another challenge for us. Not one high-speed corner on this track, not even a medium-speed corner. I think it will be more of a challenge, similar to Monaco, where we struggled a lot last time."

Despite these concerns, Norris maintains his focus on winning. "Out of the last few circuits, this is the one I've not been looking forward to the most. Last year was not a good race weekend for us. Our goal is to try and win, but that's all the focus for now," he concluded.