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Lando Norris has admitted to an adjustment in his driving style to accommodate McLaren's struggles. Ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Norris has revealed he's being pushed into unfamiliar territory to make up for lost pace.
Despite leading the championship, Norris' recent bout at the Bahrain GP has exposed his difficulties with the MCL39. The Briton began the weekend with an underwhelming qualifying effort at sixth, while his teammate Oscar Piastri scored his second pole of the season.
Norris' troubles continued at race start when he was caught out of position in his grid box, resulting in a five second penalty. However, the 25-year-old had a stellar getaway at launch that saw him leapfrog Charles Leclerc to land in P3. As the checkered flag fell, Piastri finished 15 seconds off the chasing pack while Norris failed to overcome George Russell for second.
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During Thursday's media day at the Jeddah Corniche circuit, Lando Norris opened up about his recent struggles, stating,
“I’m trying to do the best possible and when things aren’t going your way and things are not working as they should be then I’ve been a little bit disappointed. Some of that includes me having to drive in different ways and learn different things and that’s something I know I’m having to come into this weekend and try and do." (via Formula1.com)
He also spoke about how his current car compares to his previous one in 2024.
"I’m not going to be able to necessarily drive like I did last year and like I know I’m good at. Which is weird to say in my seventh season of F1 but I’m still learning things, the car is definitely different to how it’s been so I’m having to adapt a lot in uncomfortable ways," Lando Norris said.
After his victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Lando Norris has consistently finished in the podium positions, although Piastri has shortened his lead to three points after two wins at Shanghai and Bahrain.
Lando Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri confident in McLaren's pace amid strong run
Lando Norris' championship run faces a serious challenge from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. While Norris grapples to unlock the MCL39's full potential, Piastri has expressed no qualms about having the quickest car on the track.
Talking to the media ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP, Piastri opened up about his season thus far.
“I feel like the whole season has been going well and I’ve just been trying to get the most out of what we know is a quick car," he said.
Lando Norris enters the fifth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season with 77 points, while Piastri trails behind in second with 74 points.
