Karun Chandhok Highlights Lando Norris Dropping Another Opportunity as Oscar Piastri Tops Bahrain Quali

Lando Norris came into Round 4 of the 2025 season hoping to extend his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Standings. But so far, his weekend hasn’t gone according to plan.

Closest competitors Red Bull were clearly struggling during qualifying, as Max Verstappen repeatedly pointed out during the session. This presented Norris with a golden opportunity to grab pole position. All he had to do was beat his teammate, Oscar Piastri.

Sadly for the Briton, that didn’t happen—and it got worse. Norris not only finished behind Piastri, who took pole, but also behind four other drivers, meaning he will start Sunday’s Grand Prix from P6.

A squandered opportunity for the Bristol-born driver, who, instead of putting himself in a strong position, handed Piastri an opening to solidify his own title challenge—something Karun Chandhok also highlighted in the hours after qualifying.

Chandhok, a former F1 driver, praised Piastri for his blistering lap around the Sakhir International Circuit. At the same time, he also lamented Norris’ poor Q3 lap, which washed away McLaren’s expectations of securing a front-row lockout.

“To be sixth on the grid on a weekend where we have spoken about a McLaren one-two and intra-team battle, he’s now got four other people in front,” said Chandhok after the evening’s proceedings.

Norris’ goal this year is to win the title. But beyond the external threat of rival teams matching McLaren’s performance, he also has an internal challenge in Piastri. The Aussie is chasing the crown too, and if Norris continues to let opportunities slip, he could find himself becoming second-best in the team he’s been with since 2019.

As for the Bahrain GP, a 1-2 finish will be McLaren’s priority—and Piastri is likely to be the driver favored for the top step. For Norris to reach the front, he’ll have to overtake George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, and even Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

It won’t be easy, but a strong performance could prove just as rewarding.

Norris to battle on multiple fronts

Having entered the title picture midway through the 2024 season, Norris has since established himself as a genuine contender. He didn’t get the better of Verstappen last time out, but with McLaren now possessing the strongest car on the grid and Red Bull showing signs of struggle, Norris would have hoped to count one direct rival out.

But the Dutchman isn’t going anywhere. He proved that even with a sub-par car, he can outpace both McLaren drivers by simply extracting the maximum from his machinery—evident in his pole position and race win at Suzuka last weekend.

Beyond the reigning champion and his own teammate Piastri, Norris will also need to keep an eye on the rising threats waiting to pounce as soon as their cars allow it—namely Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari and George Russell in the Mercedes.

Both have been tipped as future world champions—and with the right car, they could certainly mount a serious title challenge.