Lando Norris comes clean on his expectations from the F1 Bahrain GP

Lando Norris believes that improving his connection with the car remains the main focus heading into the 2025 Bahrain GP weekend. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, the McLaren driver shared that he isn’t setting any specific expectations, instead prioritising his comfort and feel with the MCL39.

Having voiced concerns in the opening three race weekends about the car being more challenging than its predecessor, Norris admitted that it has taken time to fine-tune it to his liking. In particular, he’s been working on enhancing his confidence in areas like tire behavior and setup balance compared to last year’s machine.

Looking ahead to the Bahrain weekend, the Briton emphasised that he aims to optimise the car step by step, focusing on setup experimentation and tyre understanding rather than chasing outright results.

Asked by Sportskeeda what his expectations were from the weekend in terms of McLaren’s performance and its place in the pecking order, Norris replied:

“Honestly, I go in with no expectations most of the time yeah this, I don't need that weight on my shoulders. I don't care about any of these things you know for me at the minute I care about tomorrow my preparation today to go into practice one and figure out what's the best tires, what feels good what feels bad like I said in the beginning."

"So the things I went with trying on the car to kind of get my feelings back into a better position. That's also a priority for me tomorrow, so yeah, I don't need any expectations of what to expect going into a weekend. I just have my general expectations which I don't think will have a big advantage here.”

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Lando Norris reckons McLaren's advantage will be lesser at the 2025 Bahrain GP

Lando Norris believes McLaren won’t hold a significant pace advantage over their rivals at the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. With the Sakhir circuit’s abrasive asphalt and warmer conditions, the Briton expects tyre degradation and strategy to play a bigger role in the outcome.

Describing the track as trickier and generally slower than the previous two venues, Norris admitted that Bahrain hasn’t always suited McLaren’s strengths. He expects a tighter battle among the top four teams, predicting a more challenging and competitive weekend overall.

Commenting on whether the field will bunch up at the circuit and its impact on McLaren’s advantage, Norris explained:

“I think our advantage will be lessened compared to previous weekends. A trickier track, a slower speed circuit which has not been as favourable for us and it's where the car is in a trickier maybe so performance well but is in a trickier state compared to what we had potentially last year. So I still just expect a good competition from Ferrari, Mercedes and I even think the mid-four pack will probably be a bit closer to us this weekend."

"So I expect a difficult weekend I don't expect any easy ones. Yes the car is good and yes the team are doing an amazing job, but it's close like I've seen the past few weekends and Red Bull also have a good car, and Max is Max. And with Charles and Lewis and the other guys around, I expect tough competition.”

Warmer track temperatures in Bahrain could increase tire degradation, while the circuit’s abrasive surface may further impact tire life—making strategy a key factor across the weekend. Unlike Japan, where dirty air and limited overtaking opportunities led to a relatively dull race, Bahrain’s layout typically allows for more dynamic racing, varied strategies, and overtaking opportunities.

However, this also means McLaren will need to be on their toes as their rivals look to close the gap. Ferrari is bringing a new floor to Sakhir in a bid to reduce the deficit to the Woking outfit, while Red Bull is actively working through teething issues and can’t be counted out of contention.

With just a single point separating Norris and Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, maximising the Bahrain weekend will be critical for McLaren—not just to stay ahead in the title fight but also to defend their lead in the constructors' standings.