Lando Norris ‘not wasting my time’ over Oscar….Read More
Lando Norris insists he isn’t dwelling on the performance edge Oscar Piastri appears to hold at McLaren so far in the 2025 Formula 1 season. After the first five races, Piastri has emerged as the stronger of the two drivers, securing three wins compared to Norris’s single victory. This has placed the Australian 10 points ahead of Norris in the Drivers’ Championship heading into the Miami Grand Prix.
Norris’s season has been marked by some uncharacteristic errors, including a qualifying crash in Q3 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and a sub-par performance in Bahrain, where he only managed sixth on the grid. In contrast, Piastri has flown somewhat under the radar while consistently delivering strong results and demonstrating greater adaptability to the 2025 MCL39.
Speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, Norris opened up about the challenges he’s been facing, particularly in adapting to the nuances of McLaren’s current car. Despite being vocal about his own shortcomings earlier in the season—once even calling himself “clueless” after a frustrating Bahrain race—he now maintains a more level-headed stance.
“I’m not wasting my time trying to figure out exactly where Oscar has an advantage,” Norris stated. “There are just certain things in the car that don’t let me feel what I need to, and those are the things that help me reach my best performance, like putting it on pole or delivering at the top level.”
He emphasized that the performance gap isn’t massive, but rather down to small margins, particularly in qualifying. “It’s not like the car is suddenly impossible to drive,” Norris continued. “When we’re talking about qualifying being split by hundredths or even thousandths of a second, those fine margins are what I’m referring to—nothing more.”
Norris acknowledged that Piastri may be more naturally equipped to adapt to the characteristics of the MCL39. “Oscar’s perhaps doing a better job at adapting,” he said. “But that’s part of being a driver. It’s our job to adapt to the car we’re given, though of course, there are compromises. The team also has a role in helping us get the most out of it.”
While Norris admitted that he’s not performing at the level he achieved toward the end of last season—arguably the best form of his career—he’s choosing to stay focused on improving, rather than being distracted by his teammate’s success. “Obviously, it’s hurt me a bit more this year, but I’m not going to waste energy obsessing over it. I’ll just keep working to get back to my best.”
