Lando Norris slammed by Ralf Schumacher after Miami GP, who questions his mindset and ability to battle for 2025 F1 title.
McLaren driver Lando Norris is facing growing criticism about his ability to fight for the Formula 1 World Championship, with former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher suggesting he simply doesn’t have what it takes.
At the Miami Grand Prix, Norris made an aggressive attempt to overtake pole-sitter Max Verstappen but was forced off-track, dropping down to sixth. While Norris insisted he was pushed wide and claimed it was a “crash or no overtake” situation, many weren’t convinced, especially as his teammate Oscar Piastri pulled off a clean pass on Verstappen and went on to win.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with Norris,” Schumacher said bluntly. “If he could overtake, he would. It’s that simple. Some drivers just have a natural instinct for it, Verstappen, obviously, but also Piastri, and even Oliver Bearman.”
According to Schumacher, overtaking is a fundamental skill that drivers should have mastered long before reaching F1. “You learn that in karting. Norris just doesn’t seem to have it, and I don’t think he ever will. He takes too long to get into the lead, that’s not how you become a world champion.”
Beyond his on-track moves, Norris has also been criticized for lacking the mental strength shown by rivals like Piastri or Verstappen. Schumacher believes the balance of power at McLaren may already be shifting.
“After Miami, Piastri has every reason to feel like the team leader. He was unlucky with the safety car in the sprint, that’s really the only reason Norris ended up winning. And then Lando publicly blames Verstappen. That doesn’t help him.”
Even McLaren team principal Andrea Stella didn’t defend Norris, admitting his failed move on Verstappen was rushed and likely a misjudgment.
Schumacher warns that Norris may now start forcing the issue on track in an attempt to silence critics. “He knows the pressure is on, and that might push him to take more risks. But the problem is, he doesn’t have the same race instincts as Piastri. Oscar has already shown he can go wheel-to-wheel with the best, calmly and precisely.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Norris makes a mistake in a close fight, maybe even with his own teammate.”
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Why McLaren’s F1 Drivers Struggle to Repeat Fast Laps
Stella reveals the MCL39’s unpredictability in qualifying trim
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has shed light on why his drivers often struggle to deliver consistent flying laps in qualifying. According to Stella, the MCL39 is far more stable over long runs than it is over a single lap, where its behavior becomes difficult to predict, even for seasoned drivers.
“We now have enough data to say that the car is easier to manage in race simulations than on a single lap with fresh tyres in qualifying,” Stella explained. “We haven’t really had a perfect lap yet. Oscar’s lap in Bahrain might be the closest, but generally, the car performs better across a series of laps rather than when pushed at 100% for just one.”
The issue, he says, comes down to braking instability and front-end unpredictability, particularly under pressure. Stella and his engineers are working to make the car more “communicative”, giving the driver more feedback, especially when it’s being pushed to the limit.
“Our engineering focus now is to adjust the car so that it becomes just a bit more predictable, more transparent in terms of grip and behavior at the edge.”
Stella also addressed recent comments from Red Bull, who have claimed McLaren is now a serious threat to their dominance. He responded by accusing them of shaping a narrative for strategic reasons.
“Red Bull is fantastic at building fast cars, that’s not in question. But they’re also excellent at controlling the story. Sometimes, that means suggesting we should be dominating everything, practices, qualifying, races, as if they’re barely keeping up. It’s just part of their competitive toolkit.”
Stella emphasized that McLaren remains focused on facts and internal progress, not on external noise: “We read those stories like everyone else. Then we turn the page and go back to our work.”
As for the drivers, both Norris and Piastri are finding it hard to trust the car from corner to corner in qualifying. Stella shared a revealing comment from Piastri after a strong lap in Q2: “He said, ‘Wow, Turn 1 was incredible… but I don’t know how I did it. I’m not sure I can repeat it, because the car didn’t give me any feeling for how it was going to behave.’”
That lack of driver confidence is a key concern. While the MCL39 might be competitive in race conditions, its inconsistency over a single lap could cost McLaren valuable grid positions, and, by extension, podiums.
“A great car is one that helps the driver extract performance consistently,” Stella concluded. “Sometimes, a car with a slightly lower peak but that’s more intuitive can be faster over a weekend than one with higher potential but unpredictable handling.”
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McLaren: Alpine Tried to Intimidate Piastri Over 2023 Deal
Zak Brown opens up on behind-the-scenes pressure tactics
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has revealed new details about the intense contract battle over Oscar Piastri in 2022, accusing Alpine of using intimidation tactics in a bid to stop the young Australian from leaving.
Back then, both Alpine and McLaren believed they had secured Piastri’s services for the 2023 Formula 1 season. But while McLaren eventually won the legal dispute, the situation behind the scenes was far more tense than the public initially realized.
Speaking about the saga, Brown claimed Alpine tried to pressure Piastri into staying by prematurely announcing him as their 2023 driver, without his consent.
“Daniel [Ricciardo] had until Monaco in 2022 to show progress, and when things didn’t work out, Oscar became a priority,” Brown explained. “At the time, he was also our reserve driver through a shared agreement with Alpine, and we had a strong relationship with his manager, Mark Webber.”
“Oscar had a great track record, winning in junior formulas in his first year, just like Lando [Norris] had impressed us early. Taking a chance on another young talent made sense.”
McLaren began making moves quietly, confident they could secure Piastri. Meanwhile, Alpine, seemingly unaware of the existing McLaren deal, issued a press release in August 2022 stating Piastri would race for them alongside Esteban Ocon.
Piastri responded with a now-famous post on social media, publicly rejecting Alpine’s announcement.
“I understand Alpine F1 has issued a press release late this afternoon, without my agreement, announcing I will be driving for them next year,” he wrote. “This is wrong, and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”
That message triggered a legal showdown between the teams, with the FIA’s Contract Recognition Board ultimately siding with McLaren. Alpine was ordered to pay legal costs.
At the time, Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer admitted he thought Piastri was “tied in” to the team but discovered too late that the contract wasn’t secure. Brown believes Alpine misjudged the situation, and mishandled it entirely.
“When you join a new team, like Otmar did, your job is to evaluate everything, and fix any contract issues,” Brown said. “He probably should’ve looked more closely.”
But the most striking accusation came when Brown described Alpine’s press release as an attempt to back Piastri into a corner.
“They put out that statement saying Oscar would drive for them in 2023, but they didn’t even include a quote from him,” Brown noted. “They didn’t consult him. It felt more like a pressure move to force him into a decision. It was intimidation, plain and simple.”
In the end, it didn’t work. Piastri joined McLaren, where he has since become a key figure in the team’s resurgence.
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