McLaren Dominates Baku: Norris Leads, Kerb Woes Disrupt

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, McLaren's Lando Norris topped the first practice despite kerb-induced red flags. Oscar Piastri, after overcoming car issues, placed second. Charles Leclerc came third, while George Russell, unwell, took fourth. Debris repairs affected practices, allowing strategic adjustments without major time loss.

Devdiscourse News Desk | Baku | Updated: 19-09-2025 15:54 IST | Created: 19-09-2025 15:54 IST

McLaren Dominates Baku: Norris Leads, Kerb Woes Disrupt — This image is AI-generated and does not depict any real-life event or location. It is a fictional representation created for illustrative purposes only.

Country:
Azerbaijan

McLaren's Lando Norris emerged as the fastest in the first practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held amidst interruptions due to track repairs in Baku on Friday.

The session was marked by a red flag following the detection of debris on the track, originating from a damaged kerb. This halting of the hour-long practice provided McLaren a window to fix a power unit issue on Oscar Piastri's car.

Despite this, Piastri returned strong, lining up behind Norris as second fastest. Elsewhere, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari showed competitive pace, while Mercedes' George Russell powered through despite health woes. Issues also plagued Lewis Hamilton, who ended practice in 13th after damaging his car.