By: McLaren leaves Azerbaijan with a bitter taste in its mouth. Coming away with zero points after a race that was not spectacular but was still of a high standard does not do justice to the enormous work being carried out by the papaya-coloured team. At Baku, it introduced a very interesting upgrade package (see here). Redesigned sidepod inlets, a revised aerodynamic philosophy for the bodywork, and changes to the rear end… all aimed at reducing drag and getting closer to Mercedes on the straights, one of the MCL40’s weaknesses.
Major effort to address some of the MCL40’s technical limitations
McLaren’s objective was not to beat Russell and Antonelli in Baku, but to get closer to them. Conceptually, the MCL40 was born to be competitive on slow circuits: it has a shorter wheelbase than the other cars, while its gear ratios are believed to have been selected specifically to maximise the car’s potential at more technical venues, and therefore on tracks with short straights.
With that in mind, even though Norris endured a difficult weekend and was battling towards the lower end of the top 10, largely because of his poor qualifying performance, seeing Piastri fight for the podium on a fast street circuit such as Baku was far from a bad result. Unfortunately, the Alpines then spoiled the reigning world champion’s race, and Piastri’s error delivered the final blow, turning a solid weekend into a debacle.
The result does not do justice to the papaya team
McLaren will now be licking its wounds and trying to pick up the pieces in order to return to competitiveness immediately in Malaysia, but Azerbaijan contains more positives than the result would suggest. The vase is not broken at all. The MCL40 has taken an important step forward and, despite technical limitations that prevent it from matching Mercedes on the straights, its performance has improved. That will surely provide further impetus for growth throughout the Woking outfit. The zero points certainly do not do it justice.
Cover and in-article photos by Peter Kiss / WHYOUT Images
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Azerbaijan GP 2026
