The kind of performance Lando Norris put up in Bahrain this past weekend did not reflect his strong ambitions. Heading into the season, he was confident of challenging for the title and was hailed as the favorite. But four rounds in, his teammate Oscar Piastri seems to have taken that baton away from him.
Piastri has won two races so far and stands just three points behind leader Norris in the championship standings. Overall, the Australian has looked more comfortable in the MCL39 and has managed to extract more performance from it than Norris. The Briton, meanwhile, has simply admitted that he’s not driving well enough.
“I feel like I’ve just never driven an F1 car before. I’m struggling a lot, I don’t know why. I need to try and find some answers,” Norris said after qualifying in Bahrain, where he could only muster P6.
Norris has been quite self-critical in the past. In fact, at times, his overall attitude seems pessimistic, which could have taken a toll on his past performances. In Bahrain, it certainly did, as he finished P3. Team principal Andrea Stella has taken responsibility for this. That said, he praised Norris’ desire to improve.
“He tends to absorb and point the blame on himself. Offloading entirely the team, from like, you guys, not your problem, it was me,” he acknowledged, per Motorsport Week.
Before blaming the team for any mistake they might have made, Norris chooses to criticize himself, which is rare in F1. For instance, in Sakhir, there were some changes to Norris’ car which the 24-year-old did not speak about while addressing his difficulties.
“We know that we have made some changes to the car, which made Lando’s life a bit more difficult,” Stella added.
️ “I’m not doing a good enough job.”
A downbeat Lando Norris on his Bahrain GP qualifying performance: pic.twitter.com/ni5aPOYsGz
— The Race (@wearetherace) April 12, 2025
McLaren’s MCL39 is undoubtedly the fastest car on the 2025 grid, but it’s not miles ahead of the competition. This means that both Norris and Piastri remain vulnerable to losing a win or podium if they make mistakes. Piastri experienced this firsthand in Australia, spinning off in the closing stages and finishing P9 after being in contention for the win.
Since then, the Melbourne-born driver has bounced back, while it’s Norris who appears to be struggling at the moment.
Starting 2025 strong we love your work, Oscar!#McLaren | #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/t8EcvBJG8s
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) April 14, 2025
After winning the opening Grand Prix of the year, Norris has been beaten by Piastri in China and by Max Verstappen in Japan. Yesterday, he finished P3, behind Mercedes’ George Russell.
Naturally, Norris seems to be slipping into that vicious cycle of self-doubt.
Stella believes Norris’ self-critical nature sets him apart from other champions, who often deflect blame onto the team when things go wrong. Still, Norris may be self-aware enough to recognize that he must raise his level to compete with a force like Verstappen if he hopes to become world champion.
Nevertheless, with 20 rounds still to go, there’s plenty of racing left in the 2025 season. The battle between Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen for the drivers’ crown is only just heating up.
