Azerbaijan GP: shocking Q1 exit for Lando Norris

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Norris forced to start Baku race from a disappointing 17th place.

Lando Norris faced a significant setback to his title aspirations as he suffered a surprising elimination in Q1 during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session. The McLaren driver's hopes for a strong starting position were dashed due to a yellow flag during his second flying lap, forcing him to abandon his attempt.

The yellow flag was a result of Alpine's Esteban Ocon moving slowly on the track after making contact with the wall. According to Formula 1 regulations, drivers must reduce speed when they encounter a yellow flag, and this prevented Norris from completing his qualifying lap. Consequently, Norris had to rely on his initial attempt in Q1, which was only fast enough for 17th on the grid.

In an interview with Sky Sports after the session, a subdued Norris expressed his disappointment: "Just everyone did their second laps, and I didn't. Just unlucky, that's all. It was Ocon on the left. I had to lift."

When asked about his prospects for the race, Norris remained cautiously optimistic: "I'm gonna have to hope so, aren't I? It is what it is. Long race ahead. We have some good tires in the bank. Yeah, just try to go forward... That's what tonight's for. I'm still hopeful we can get a good result. I think the car is quick. The lap I was on, I would have easily gone second. But nothing I can do."

Norris' early exit from Q1 marks his first such occurrence this season and his first since last year's Las Vegas Grand Prix. The bottom five drivers in Q1 are eliminated from progressing to Q2 and Q3, preventing them from competing for the top positions on the starting grid.

This setback comes at a crucial time for Norris, who currently trails Max Verstappen by 62 points in the drivers' championship. Despite narrowing the gap by 16 points over the last two races, Norris will need to continue outperforming Verstappen significantly over the remaining eight rounds to close the points deficit. Starting from 17th on the grid in Baku makes this challenge even more formidable.

As the race weekend unfolds, all eyes will be on Norris to see if he can navigate through the field and salvage a meaningful result in his quest for the championship.

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