Norris eager to build on Monaco success at "unpredictable" Azerbaijan

Lando Norris is confident the "unpredictable" Azerbaijan streets will provide another opportunity for McLaren to continue its impressive start to the Formula 1 season.

After five races, Norris is third in the drivers' standings behind only Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton whilst McLaren sits third, two points ahead of Ferrari, in the constructors' championship.

At the Monaco Grand Prix, Norris capitalised on a strong qualifying performance and the misfortunes of Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas to score his second podium of the season.

“It was a great feeling to be on the podium in Monaco after a well-executed weekend from the team," said Norris. "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."

Although the Baku City Circuit is another street circuit, the long drag from turn 16 to the first corner means the chances of completing an overtake are significantly higher than last time out in Monaco.

He added: "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."

Reflecting on the battle with Ferrari, one which McLaren leads in part thanks to Leclerc's failure to start the Monaco Grand Prix, Norris said: “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.”

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