Lando Norris concedes he’s 'letting McLaren down' after a surprising Bahrain GP quali mishap

Lando Norris was dejected after a tough qualifying session at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, which saw him finish sixth on the grid. Despite McLaren’s impressive early season pace, the Briton admitted that he was simply not fast enough, while teammate Oscar Piastri took pole position four-tenths of a second clear of Norris.

While the MCL60 looked quick in every session leading up to qualifying, Norris struggled in the decisive Q3 run. The McLaren cars were closely matched throughout Q1 and Q2. But Piastri’s final lap in Q3 proved significantly quicker, with Norris’s pace dropping off just when it mattered most.

The result leaves the 25-year-old starting in the third row behind both Mercedes, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Speaking candidly after the session, Norris laid bare his emotions in an honest self-assessment. While praising the McLaren package and the efforts of his team, he admitted he was the weak link in the setup this weekend:

"I think we have a great end of car. (The car) is amazing. I have nothing to complain about, because the team are doing an amazing job, Oscar is on pole by a good chance. I’m thankful for the team, we are doing an amazing job… just letting them down. That’s all."

The McLaren star, who entered the weekend as the championship leader with 62 points, however, looked out of rhythm through all three qualifying segments.

His loss of consistency was uncharacteristic, especially after topping the timing sheets earlier in the weekend. What made it more puzzling was that his sector splits were reasonably competitive until Q3, where rivals around him, especially Piastri and George Russell, extracted more from the track.

Norris pointed to a lack of flow with the car as a key reason behind his sub-par showing. Despite having no issues with balance or grip, the McLaren #4 admitted he couldn’t connect with the MCL60 in the same way his teammate did.

"I just can't flow with the car, and when I can't flow, I am not very quick. I have just got to work on myself. I can't fault the team...the car is the best by a long way. But clearly, I'm just not clicking at the minute," Norris said (via ESPN)

It’s a stark contrast to Piastri’s form, with the Australian extracting the maximum from the car and claiming his second pole this Formula 1 season in clinical fashion.

"I’ve just been off it": Lando Norris admits Bahrain struggles despite strong practice form

Lando Norris during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir.- Source: Getty

For Lando Norris, the issue wasn’t just Q3, it had been building up all weekend. Despite being in the top three in all practice sessions, Norris revealed he had never felt at ease behind the wheel this weekend. McLaren boss Andrea Stella also acknowledged Norris' troubles with the car and claimed to have made "adjustments" to make him more comfortable.

Norris opened up about his internal discomfort with the car post-session.

"I was just slow, and I have been slow this whole weekend, to be honest. So, nothing too surprising honestly. I've just been off it. I feel like I have just never driven a Formula 1 car before," Norris said to F1.

That candid admission reflects both the mental and technical challenges Lando Norris is facing despite being in one of the grid’s strongest cars. The McLaren car has shown top-tier speed across sectors in Bahrain, with both short-run and long-run pace placing it firmly among the front-runners. Yet, as Norris noted, none of that matters if the driver isn't fully in sync with the machine.

Sunday offers a fresh opportunity for Lando Norris to rebound, but starting behind five quick cars means damage limitation could be the more realistic target, even if the ultimate goal remains a podium.