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Former F1 world champion Damon Hill gave a short reaction to McLaren driver Lando Norris reflecting on calling himself "f**king idiot", after his qualifying crash at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The British driver was the favorite to take the pole position around the twisty and fast Jeddah Corniche circuit on Saturday and get back to his confident self after a mixed Bahrain GP last weekend.
The five-time F1 race winner was the driver to beat over a single lap throughout the race weekend and had the edge over his teammate and championship rival Oscar Piastri.
However, on his opening timed lap of the Q3 session, the 25-year-old was unable to control the slide from Turn 4 and crashed into the barriers to end his chances of getting the second pole position of the season. While informing the team about his crash and his health, Lando Norris had some choice words for himself.
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When asked about using harsh words for himself, the McLaren driver told the media in the post-quali interview with Sky Sports:
"I was doing well until then and feeling comfortable. But it makes sense [what he said], I shunted. Again, I'm not going to be proud, I'm not going to be happy. I've let myself down, I've let the team down, and the guys have got a big job to do now to fix it all."
"So, yeah, that's the way it is. I agree with I said, but I still look forward to tomorrow and I have to try and make up for today," he added.
The 1996 world champion reposted Lando Norris's comments on his Instagram Story and gave a two-word reaction, saying:
"Very Sorry."
Lando Norris will start the race from P10 but was pessimistic about his chances of securing his first podium at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris chimes in on his chances of securing a podium in Jeddah
McLaren driver Lando Norris stated that he was targeting a top-five finish in the main race on Sunday, given the difficulties of overtaking around the Jeddah Corniche circuit.
Speaking with Sky Sports, the 25-year-old reflected on his best possible result and said:
"Try and put a good plan in place, but we're going to need a bit of luck. It's so difficult, it's almost impossible to overtake around here, so I'm not expecting anything magical, but we have a good car. If we can work our way up to the top five, six, I would say I'll be happy."
Lando Norris is still leading the championship from Oscar Piastri by three points and Max Verstappen by eight points; however, he could lose the lead to either driver as they are starting on the front row of the grid in the main race.
