‘Both drivers felt that’: Anderson believes Norris and Piastri proved they share his McLaren concern in Baku

McLaren could have won the 2025 F1 constructors’ title in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, yet Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri left Baku knowing far more was possible for them.

The City of Wind witnessed the worst weekend of the 2025 F1 season so far for McLaren, as Norris only managed P7 and Piastri retired on the first lap of the Azerbaijan GP. Their plights in Baku meant McLaren did not win the constructors’ championship in record-breaking time.

Norris’ inability, or apprehension to try, to overtake Red Bull racer Yuki Tsunoda also ensured the Briton did not punish Piastri’s first-lap retirement in Baku. The 25-year-old got the dream chance to reduce his deficit in the F1 drivers’ championship, but he only cut it from 31 to 25.

Red Bull rival Max Verstappen dominated to win the Azerbaijan GP from pole position, along with cutting his deficit to Piastri in the drivers’ standings from 94 to 69 points. It marked the first time that the four-time reigning champion won back-to-back races since June 2024.

Gary Anderson feels Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri share his fear that McLaren took ‘their eye off the ball’

Verstappen comfortably won the Italian Grand Prix from pole in the race prior to F1’s visit to Baku, but his 19.207s lead was helped by McLaren’s alternative strategy for Norris at Monza. But McLaren clearly being second-best at the high-speed tracks does worry Gary Anderson.

READ MORE: Every error that cost Lando Norris points in his failed 2024 F1 title challenge

Speaking to The Telegraph, Anderson has also suggested that Norris and Piastri proved they share his fears about McLaren with their performances in Baku. Norris would only qualify P7 and was 1.122s off pole, while Piastri qualified P9 for the Azerbaijan GP after crashing in Q3.

Anderson said: “Given what we have seen in the past couple of weekends, I would be more than a little bit worried if I were at McLaren. I wonder if they have taken their eye off the ball slightly for this year given how far ahead they are (or were) in both championships.

“Most teams are focusing on 2026 now and, although McLaren will still claim the constructors’ title, the drivers’ title is not a foregone conclusion. I sense that both drivers felt that in Baku.

“Perhaps not just because Verstappen won so comfortably in Monza, but because time is running out and any retirements or mistakes could have a significant say in where the title goes at the end of the year.

“We will see who handles the pressure better in the final seven races. Normally, that has been Piastri, but he seemed to buckle in Azerbaijan. Luckily for him, he lost only six points, fewer than if he’d have finished second with Norris winning.”

Oscar Piastri slammed for a ‘rookie mistake’ causing his Azerbaijan Grand Prix retirement

Norris and Piastri majorly disappointed Anderson across the Azerbaijan GP weekend, as the ex-Jordan technical director feels qualifying was the root cause of the McLaren stars’ plight. Neither driver produced a tidy Q3 lap when it counted, so started the race on the back foot.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

Even before his race-ending crash after getting onto the wrong part of the track to brake for Turn 5, Piastri jumped the start of the Azerbaijan GP and plummeted to last place before he recovered. Norris compromised his race by brushing the wall at Turn 15 on his best Q3 lap.

Anderson added: “I think both Piastri and Norris were guilty of overdriving. For Piastri in qualifying, he could perhaps have challenged for pole with the lap that he was on before crashing. Yet he took risks that were unnecessary and ended up in the wall.

“In the race, starting ninth, he jumped the start, went into anti-stall trying to recover and then dropped to last. At that point, he knew he had a line of slower cars ahead of him, so tried a silly overtake.

“With the turbulence from the slower cars he overcooked it and locked up into the barriers yet again. He had no hope of making that corner from there. It was a rookie error.

“In both qualifying and in the race, Norris was presented a golden chance to eat into the 31-point lead the Australian held heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix. Yet his final Q3 lap was scrappy even before he tapped the wall.

“A tidier run and he might have been third on the grid – far better to eat into Piastri’s advantage. In the race, it was a struggle for Norris to get past the cars with better straight-line speed, though a slow stop did not help.”