Lando Norris has accepted that it was "only fair" that he was not allowed to overtake Daniel Ricciardo during the final laps of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The two McLaren drivers found themselves fighting over the same piece of tarmac twice during the race in Baku, despite being on very different strategies. During the opening stint of the race, a faster Ricciardo was told not to overtake Norris with the youngster attempting an overcut on Fernando Alonso that did not work. But later in the race, Ricciardo found himself stuck behind Alonso with Norris catching from behind and desperate to pass. He was told not to.
Norris: "I played the team game, so I'm happy with that."
During the race, Norris argued via the team radio: "Why hold position? That was for the strategy, this is for a finishing position?" He then, frustratedly commented: "Alright, I'll stay behind him." But after having a chance to chat to his team after the race, Norris has accepted that staying behind his teammate was the right thing to do. "He helped me in the middle of the race and it was only fair that I helped him, or didn't pass him, at the end," he told F1 Nation . "It's just annoying, you never want to do that. Especially if it has no risk or concern at the end, it was just me versus him. But no, I played the team game, so I'm happy with that."
McLaren double points finish is important
Despite having finished behind Ricciardo in Baku, Norris still holds a 35-point advantage over the Australian, who has endured a difficult start to 2022. "It's eighth or ninth, either way around, I don't really mind," he said. "I'm only here to win races and win a championship. I'm not going to win the championship this year. "Instead, it's just about making sure we can get the most points for the constructors. The more we can, the more money we get and the easier it is for the team to spend it on good things."
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