Following the opening practice sessions at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lando Norris provided a candid assessment of McLaren’s current form. The British driver described the team's pace as "pretty pants," a colloquial expression indicating that the car's performance was significantly below expectations for the Baku City Circuit.

Norris’s comments suggest that McLaren is currently struggling to find the necessary balance and speed required to challenge the front-runners on the high-speed street track. While practice sessions are often used to test various setups and fuel loads, Norris’s public dismissal of his chances for pole position indicates a lack of confidence in the team's current trajectory for the weekend. The team now faces a critical window before qualifying to identify whether these performance issues are related to mechanical setup, tire management, or the inherent characteristics of the car on this specific circuit. As of now, the team has not provided a technical breakdown of the specific issues hindering their pace, leaving the driver’s assessment as the primary insight into their current standing.