Lando Norris Issues Clear Statement After Tough F1 Challenges

Lando Norris has pointed to qualifying as the key area he must improve if he hopes to catch teammate Oscar Piastri in the hunt for this year’s Formula 1 world championship. After nine rounds of the season, Norris sits ten points behind Piastri in the standings, with two wins compared to the Australian’s five.

The fight for the title has become a close contest within McLaren, the first time since 2016 that a single F1 team has seen such a direct battle at the top. Norris has put together a consistent run on race days, picking up a worst finish of fourth place in Saudi Arabia and landing on the podium in each of the other eight races.

But Saturdays have told a different story for the British driver. At the Bahrain Grand Prix, a qualifying error put him sixth on the grid while Piastri claimed pole position and went on to win.

In Saudi Arabia, a crash in Q3 left Norris tenth, and again Piastri took the victory and opened a substantial points gap. So far this season, Piastri leads the qualifying head-to-head against Norris by a narrow 5-4 margin.

The time difference between the two over nine races stands at just 0.095 seconds on average. However, the small gap in qualifying has had a big impact on race results, with Norris emphasizing the significance of starting positions.

He said that identifying the area needing work was “pretty obvious” and called out qualifying as the single place where improvement could have the most effect on his ability to win races. Norris explained that while race days have gone according to plan for the most part, his performance in qualifying has been mixed and is the “one I’m putting the most time and effort into.”

He also reflected on specific moments, like Miami, stating he would make different choices if given another chance but knows that races can unfold in ways that are not always in his control.

With his Sunday pace strong and confidence high heading into races, Norris believes small adjustments—mostly tied to qualifying—could shift the balance in his favor.

In the drivers’ standings after nine rounds, McLaren leads the pack with Norris and Piastri at 176 and 186 points respectively. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sits third with 137, followed by George Russell on 111 and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with 94 points.

McLaren’s dominance is clear, with the team total at 362 points, far ahead of Ferrari’s 165 and Mercedes’ 159. The upcoming races on the calendar, including Canada on June 15 and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 6, will be crucial for both Norris and Piastri as they continue their title fight.

For Norris, finding more consistency on Saturdays may be the final step needed to close the gap and strengthen his challenge for the championship. As the season progresses, every session will take on added weight, especially inside the McLaren garage where two teammates chase the same dream.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.