Blow for Lando Norris as both McLarens crash in second Baku practice

Lando Norris has suffered an early blow to his Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend with a crash in second practice.

The Briton, who is 31 points behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri arriving in Baku, touched the wall at Turn 4 after losing the rear of his car while on a flying lap on soft tyres.

Norris managed to crawl back to the garage with his damaged McLaren crabbing as he headed back to the pits.

With half an hour remaining of FP2, Norris will not be able to complete any long runs.

"He carried a bit of understeer, then the car eventually did bite but the rear snaps around on him,” Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok observed.

"A little bit too much speed for the level of grip he had.”

Championship Piastri also brushed the wall at Turn 15 but fared better than his teammate, having been able to limp back to the pits before being sent on his way again.

Eventful Friday for McLaren

It has been an eventful Friday in Baku for McLaren, with Norris topping the timesheets and heading a 1-2 for the British squad in FP1.

But the day has not been without drama. Piastri suffered a power unit related scare in first practice which cost him track time, before Norris’s own setback in the afternoon session.

“What an eventful day we’ve had here in Baku, with Oscar Piastri starting with an engine problem. That was fixed quite quickly,” Sky Sports F1’s pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz said.

“By contrast, I’m not sure the broken suspension at the back of Lando Norris’s car is going to be fixed before the end of the season. Never say never, the fact that it’s on stands doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

“But I can see the car being taken apart in various other ways that they would normally do between practice two and practice three.

“The effect of not having the long runs, we saw it with Kimi Antonelli at Monza, how much will it effect Lando? A more experienced driver but in with a chance of the title.”