McLaren
Lando Norris, 3rd
“I feel like I drove a perfect race today, my tyre management was very strong, and I felt a step ahead of everyone. Qualifying was perfect, the race in terms of performance was perfect, and we were quickest by a big margin. It's just incredibly frustrating to lose in a way that has nothing to do with performance. I was the only driver on the whole grid who didn't get a pit stop under the VSC, and I lost around twenty seconds of race time because of it.
“There are still positives to take from this weekend in terms of what we can do. The pace on Sunday is clearly there, we were better than everyone today, and that's reassuring. Saturday is still an area we need to improve, but if we can close that gap and avoid situations like today, we win. We'll take today on the chin, keep pushing, and go again.”
Oscar Piastri, 8th
“It was a tough one for us today, and a pretty painful race from start to finish. I got squeezed by Russell which then broke my front wing on the first lap, and from there we just got stuck in traffic, which is tricky with the lack of overtaking here. Unfortunately, the VSC timing wasn't ideal for the Hard tyre starters like myself. When we did pit, the Mediums didn't perform how we wanted them to, and I was back in traffic.
“The positive we can take is that there are some good learnings, especially on how to get the most out of the car. We also had some decent pace on the Hard tyre in clean air, which is always encouraging. We will review, see what more we can learn and then and take it into the next part of the season.”
Andrea Stella, Team Principal
“Today is a day of mixed emotions, but we leave with our heads held high and a smile on our faces. Lando was the fastest driver on track and absolutely deserved the victory. The pace we showed was phenomenal, especially at a circuit where we didn't expect to be so strong. Unfortunately, factors entirely outside our control, specifically the timing of the Virtual Safety Car, meant the win was taken from us. We reviewed all options, but the circumstances left us with no viable alternative strategy. It's frustrating when you have the performance to win and the racing gods aren't on your side, but we will take it on the chin.
“The biggest positive is the clear evidence that our car is competitive and capable of fighting at the front. The team did an exceptional job all weekend to unlock this level of performance, and it gives us great confidence for the upcoming races. We are closing the gap in the championship and have proven we can be a threat on Sundays. While it was a tougher day for Oscar, who was compromised by damage at the start, we are working hard with him to unlock his full potential. We look forward to Baku, ready to fight for podiums and victories.”
