Formula One McLaren boss backs Norris and Piastri to come back stronger

LANDO Norris and Oscar Piastri will come back stronger from a troubled weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, according to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.

- Scott HUNT

Championship leader Piastri crashed out of both qualifying and the race in Baku, throwing the door wide open to title rival Norris.

But the British driver started only seventh after a scruffy final run in qualifying and that is where he finished as his McLaren lacked the pace to progress through the field.

It means Norris could take only six points out of Piastri's lead - cutting it to 25 - with Stella accepting he missed an opportunity in qualifying.

"On Lando's side, if we just look with the lens of the drivers' championship, obviously this was an opportunity to gain some points - possibly it might have been yesterday in qualifying," Stella said after Sunday's race.