Lando Norris went into the season as a top favorite on the World Cup title. McLaren teammate Oscar Piatri has long since taken on this role. After the crash in Canada, the question arises: was that finally for Norris?
In mid -March in Melbourne, Australia. Lando Norris is at the top of the podium after a wild starting race of Formula 1 in 2025. So far, so far. Because that McLaren could dominate this season had already indicated in the second half of the previous season.
What would almost have been lost on that day in Melbourne: Oscar Piatri, team -mate of Norris in McLaren, had put a lot of pressure on the end of the race, would have had a chance of attacking Norris. A driving error then led to the turner – Piatri only landed in ninth place.
If two argue, the third (maybe) is happy (maybe)
A lot has happened since then, the balance of power has been fundamentally shifted. What had been indicated in Melbourne at times was a reality in China a week later: Piatri won ahead of Norris, also won three of the subsequent four races. The Australian has been leading the World Cup since Saudi Arabia in mid-April.
“We have the fastest car in the field, but the lead is not so big that we can be carefree”Team boss Andrea Stella said at the time. In fact, McLaren is still dominant, but the fact that the struggle for the World Cup has long since become an internal team duel is risks. According to the motto “If two argue, the third is happy”, Max Verstappen was already able to score two racing wins in the more or less inferior Red Bull. George Russell won the first Mercedes victory of the season in Canada.
Crash in Canada – foreseen of observers
In this last race in Montreal, the McLaren pilots not only bit their teeth on both Mercedes’ and Verstappen, they also caused the big excitement that observers had long prophesied: a crash between Piatri and Norris.
What you would probably not have predicted: there was a clear culprit who immediately looks at it and apologizes. “I feel bad,” said Norris, who could not end the race. Piatri, who at least saved fourth place, protected the teammate: “He is a good guy. I don’t think there was any bad thought.”
Norris is missing the quiet head in dangerous situations
We would be back with the observers. Nobody would accommodate a bad thought after his attack in Montreal. This does not fit the British ray man, to whom several experts have often agreed on the “killer instinct”.
Rather, the enormous pressure, which has been on him since the beginning of this season, has led to the hopeless maneuver. While Piatri is cool and almost stoically the necessary victories and, above all, points, Norris often seems crazy. He has completely put qualifying in the sand twice this season.
| Run | Result (+ qualifying) norris | Result (+ qualifying) piatri |
|---|---|---|
Australia | 1 (1) | 9 (2) |
China | 2 (3) | 1 (1) |
Japan | 2 (2) | 3 (3) |
Bahrain | 3 (6) | 1 (1) |
Saudi Arabia | 4 (10) | 1 (2) |
Miami | 2 (2) | 1 (4) |
Emilia-Romagna | 2 (4) | 3 (1) |
Monaco | 1 (1) | 3 (3) |
Spain | 2 (2) | 1 (1) |
Canada | – (7) | 4 (3) |
You can never deny the driving skills. At the age of 20 he was already in the cockpit near McLaren, went through heights and depths with the traditional team. After felt infinite second places, the first racing victory finally followed in 2024. The experience of 138 races is obviously not enough to keep cool heads in dangerous situations. This was often the case in the pre -season in duel with Verstappen – and continues this season.
Song in Norris would be clearly premature
Canada was, so to speak, the negative highlight in this development. And despite the past on the British and speculation to put an alleged decision within the team to put Piatri from now on, a preliminary decision has not been made in the World Cup fight. Norris has 22 points behind Piatri – only ten out of 24 races have been completed.
And yet Norris is on the scabbard shortly before the summer break: If the sporting trend continues, those responsible at McLaren could actually be forced at some point to commit themselves to a clear number one internally. “That will make us stronger when it comes to our internal competition and the way we run races”Team boss Stella said after the Canada Grand Prix.
No training for Norris on Friday in Spielberg
The race in Spielberg, Austria, next Sunday (29.06.2025) could pretend to be a line for Norris. He himself says that he now wants to “concentrate and achieve results”. The fact that he cannot take part in the first training session fits into the picture. The FIA provides that every driver clears their cockpit for young drivers on two Fridays. This is how Alex Dunne Norris replaces in Spielberg.
Admittedly, the prerequisites could be better.