"Nearly 4 tenths clear of P3. Must have been rough mate" - Fans react to Lando Norris' surprisingly glum verdict at the F1 Bahrain GP

Lando Norris assessed his free practice sessions at the Bahrain Grand Prix and deemed it a difficult day at the office on Friday. However, fans were puzzled by his statement as he ended the FP1 session as the quickest driver and FP2 as a runner-up.

The 2025 Bahrain GP kicked off with an entertaining day of free practice sessions at the Bahrain International Circuit. In the afternoon session, many rookies participated for their respective teams, whereas regular drivers returned in FP2.

McLaren once again dominated the proceedings as Lando Norris topped the FP1 chart with his teammate Oscar Piastri going a tenth quicker to ace the FP2 session. While the Papaya team appeared the fastest on the grid, Norris downplayed the hype in a media interview.

"A difficult day," said Lando Norris.

Sky Sports F1 page shared Lando's surprising comments on X. Fans weren't convinced by the British driver's assessment, as many trolled him in the comment section.

"Nearly 4 tenths clear of P3. Must have been rough mate….," a fan said.

"Difficult since Oscar is clear of him as a driver," another comment read.

"Tricky weekend. proceeds to be 4 tenths faster than max in the middle sector, this guy is shameless," a user opined through a comment.

A fan, meanwhile, asked Norris to drop the act of playing underdog.

"Oh shut up already. You guys are 0.4 clear of the rest. If anything it's only a McLaren duel and the rest would fight for P3. If you really want a difficult day, turn your engine down for the race," said a fan.

"Driving any F1 car is indeed difficult when you're a below average driver. Even if it's by far the fastest," .

"Mclaren needs as a team to be annihilated from the face of the earth, never seen such liars," a fan opined.

McLaren has dominated the 2025 season so far with two wins in three races.

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Lando Norris is cautious of battling Red Bull at Bahrain

Lando Norris at F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain - Source: Getty

After losing the Japanese GP to Max Verstappen, Lando Norris appears unsure of challenging the Dutchman in Bahrain. While McLaren has a faster car compared to Red Bull, Norris feels the track conditions could make things trickier for him.

When asked if McLaren can keep Red Bull behind in Bahrain, Norris said:

“Unlikely, just from my feelings at the minute. We’ve had a great start to the season, and I know a lot of things are amazing, but it’s a much slower speed circuit than the last few weekends. We still know that’s one of our weaker areas. I’m not expecting bad things, I’m just expecting a trickier weekend than the last few.”

However, McLaren's free practice session pace has proved to be superior compared to Red Bull. The Bahrain Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, April 13, at the Bahrain International Circuit.