Azerbaijan GP 2021 - McLaren preview

Lando Norris

’“It was a great feeling to be on the podium in Monaco after a well-executed weekend from the team. We’re looking to keep this positive momentum going as we head to Baku. I’m looking forward to jumping in the car and racing on another street circuit for a second race in a row. Baku is a unique race with a mix of long straights and slow corners that make it an exciting challenge to master. It’s also unpredictable as you always get the sense that there will be opportunities, so we’ll need to be ready to make the most of them if they come our way.

“The competition around us is providing some great battles on track. We need to keep pushing to get everything we can out of the car and stay out of trouble, as there’s little room for error when it comes to street circuits. The key for us is to find consistency throughout the weekend to be able to walk away with a good amount of points on Sunday.”

Daniel Ricciardo

’“Monaco wasn’t my weekend but I’m looking to bounce back. It’s been important to take time to reset and refocus before heading to Baku. The team and I have been working hard in the sim to understand, analyse and pinpoint the key areas we need to improve. We know the car has good potential, we just need to put all pieces together to unlock it. There’s still that element of adapting to a new car which I’m sure will come with the more time and mileage behind the wheel. I’m going to keep working at it, build on the progress we made in Portugal and Spain and try to feel as one with the car.

“Baku is a really cool street circuit and one of those races where potentially anything could happen. The track is known for having one of the longest straights on the calendar with three cars being able to run side-by-side as you head into Turn One. Hopefully, we can get the car into the right window from the off on Friday and have a solid weekend.”

Andreas Seidl - Team Principal

“After an eventful weekend in Monaco, that saw us on the podium for the second time in five races, our attention now turns to another exciting street circuit in Baku. We’re continuing to make a good start to the season through the hard work of the entire team both at the factory and the track alongside our colleagues at Mercedes HPP. However, we need to remain focused and look to keep consolidating our performances one race weekend at a time. It’s crucial we stay on top of reliability, make the right calls and extract the most from our package to stay in the closely-contested fight with our competitors.

“It’s great to be returning to Baku after missing it last season due to the pandemic. In comparison to Monaco, Baku has very different characteristics that make it a different challenge this weekend. The contrast in the layout sees an unusually long straight for a street circuit, with numerous slow corners that will present opportunities and challenges for the teams. Finding the optimal balance to get the best from the car will be key. The general nature of street circuits also leaves no margin for error. We’re ready to go racing and fight for some good points this weekend.”