![\"Oscar](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/01a3c0_8a9c23e221ca40fba5bfd6d393815c05~mv2.png\")
<\/p>\nWritten by Caitlyn Gordon, Edited by Meghana Sree<\/p>\n
McLaren needed just nine points to secure the Constructors’ Championship at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but a disastrous weekend for the entire team sees the fight continuing to Singapore. Here’s how the team’s weekend in Baku fell apart against expectations.<\/p>\n
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McLaren’s easy shot at securing the Constructors’ Championship in Baku fell apart over the course of the weekend | Credit: Formula One <\/p>\n
Since the start of the season, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have been battling it out for the Championship crown. With numerous 1-2 finishes, the pair have pushed McLaren to the top of the Constructors\u2019 Championship with a mammoth gap of 337 points ahead of Baku.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As they entered the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, the possibility of the Woking based team wrapping up one trophy was only a mere nine points away. However, four crashes throughout the weekend, low qualifying positions and a pivotal pit-stop error meant the team left the weekend empty-handed, and many questions over what went wrong.<\/p>\n
Disaster strikes McLaren in practice<\/p>\n
McLaren\u2019s woes began early, setting a precedent for the weekend. After leading 1-2 in the opening practice session of the weekend, Norris entered the second session on a high; however, it quickly unravelled as the Briton lost control of his McLaren and crashed at Turn 4, breaking his rear suspension. Piastri had his own scare, brushing the walls and narrowly avoiding a second crash for the team. He rounded out the session in 12th.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Going into the third practice<\/a>\u00a0session the following day, it looked as though it was business as usual with McLaren first and third in the overall timings. However, what would follow in qualifying later that day would further set back the Woking-based team.\u00a0<\/p>\n From bad to worse<\/p>\n Saturday saw a record breaking qualifying session with six red flags bringing the overall session to a running time of one hour and 47 minutes. Between Q1 and Q2, four of the red flags were thrown after crashes from Alex Albon, Nico H\u00fclkenberg, Franco Colapinto and Ollie Bearman.\u00a0<\/p>\n Heading into the battle for pole in Q3, the real fight for the drivers were the tricky conditions with struggles of getting the tyres optimised and fighting their way through tight corners. A few minutes into the session, Charles Leclerc hit the barriers at Turn 15, bringing out the fifth red flag. This was significant, as only three drivers at this point had set a lap time; Carlos Sainz, Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the effort to rescue Leclerc\u2019s Ferrari, spots of rain began hitting the circuit. It remained dry enough that the drivers had another chance at the fight for pole. However, minutes later, Piastri crashed at Turn 3, marking a record breaking sixth red flag.\u00a0<\/p>\n With his title rival out of the fight for pole, Norris had the opportunity to capitalise on his teammate\u2019s misfortunes \u2013 which could have significantly helped their fight for the Constructors\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the final three minutes ticked down, the drivers had one shot at pole left after Piastri\u2019s McLaren was cleared. The Briton looked to make his final attempt a memorable one, however, he kissed the wall at Turn 15, and continued his run, crossing the line with a hindered time, placing himself in seventh, only two positions ahead of Piastri.<\/p>\n Rounding out a weekend to forget<\/p>\n After a rare off weekend from Piastri in qualifying and Norris\u2019 lower than usual start position, expectations were high for the pair of McLarens to fight their way up the grid.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the lights went green<\/a>, Norris shot off the line, however, Piastri toppled down the pecking order after a false start, triggering his car\u2019s anti-stall system. After getting back into the race, Piastri\u2019s race lasted a mere six corners. The Australian hit the barriers of Turn 6 bringing an end to his 34-race scoring streak, and costing McLaren crucial points<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The hope McLaren had left in Norris to salvage their weekend soon unravelled when the Briton came in for his only pit stop. Norris\u2019 rear wheel nut was jammed, giving the sole running McLaren driver a slow pit stop with a time of 4.1 seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n A slow pit stop for Lando Norris hindered his ability to finish further than seventh | Credit: Formula One <\/p>\n When he exited the pits, he came out in a DRS fight for fifth between Yuki Tsunoda, Lawson and Leclerc – a fight which Norris ultimately lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Lando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/01a3c0_b9eb3ace4f014ddbad51cc650d333336~mv2.png\")
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