Lando Norris has admitted he must stop making costly errors if he is to remain in contention for the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship title, with the McLaren driver currently trailing teammate Oscar Piastri by 22 points ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.
Norris endured a painful Canadian Grand Prix, where he crashed into the back of Piastri’s car in damp conditions, ending his own race and denting his title ambitions. Piastri, meanwhile, managed to recover and finish fourth, extending his lead in the standings.
“I can’t afford to make some of the mistakes that I’ve been making. That’s something I know.
“I just want to make the least mistakes possible. It’s not that I can afford to make less or more or whatever. I just need to improve on what I’ve been doing.”
Lando Norris
The Canadian incident marked the first time all season that a McLaren driver failed to finish on the podium. While Piastri has delivered five wins and four pole positions across the first 10 races, Norris has managed two victories and two poles which is impressive, but insufficient in a season where margins for error are slim.
Mistakes Not From Only Canadian Prix
This isn’t just Montreal. Norris has also suffered from smaller misjudgements earlier in the season, including a run across the grass while exiting the pit lane alongside Max Verstappen in Japan and a miscalculated move during wheel-to-wheel combat with the Red Bull driver on the opening lap in Miami—both of which cost him crucial track positions and points.
However, Norris maintains that the source of many of his difficulties lies not just with him but also with the car.
“Primarily, my struggles have been in qualifying. The car hasn’t been giving me the confidence to push it right to the limit without risking a mistake.
“Oscar’s certainly been a bit more comfortable than I have this season and that’s the way it is. I’ve been making more mistakes and I’ve been behind. That’s been clear.”
Lando Norris
Norris has been working closely with his engineers to address the issues, and he debuted a revised front suspension setup in Montreal aimed at improving the feedback he receives from the car.
“It’s more something to try and give me a better feeling rather than to unlock any more performance from the car, but hopefully a better feeling can in some way unlock performance.
“Another weekend for us to judge that and for me to get a feeling on it in a more normal track compared to Canada.”
Lando Norris
The British driver insists that while his mistakes have been damaging, he’s not panicking just yet.
“There is a very long way in the season, so I’m not worried about anything. But of course, I know it’s always never a good thing to lose out on points, no matter what race it is.
“Obviously, last time out, I was the only one who lost the points. And I’ve paid a price for misjudging things like I did.”
Lando Norris
Reflecting on the Canada crash, Norris admitted it took him “a little time” to move past the disappointment, particularly because the incident involved his teammate. Yet, he believes his immediate acceptance of blame helped avoid any long-term damage to the team dynamic.
Misjudgement From Norris
“I made it clear from the immediate moment that I misjudged it and I took the fault for it. So yes, of course not the most joyful conversations, but conversations that needed to be had.
“That’s a good example for us as a team. It’s also about the trust and honesty that Oscar and I have for one another.”
Lando Norris
As the F1 circus shifts to Spielberg for the Austrian Grand Prix, both Norris and Piastri are optimistic that McLaren can bounce back strongly at the Red Bull Ring; a venue where the team has performed well in recent years.
“It’s been one of our better ones in the past. It’s also been a very good one for Red Bull and for Max.
“They were on pole by four and a half tenths last year. We expect to be good, but maybe struggle a little bit in qualifying compared to some of our competitors.”
Lando Norris
Both McLaren and Red Bull are bringing upgrades to Austria in a bid to keep pace in a championship battle that remains wide open. Verstappen, who is chasing his fifth Austrian GP win, sits third in the championship; just one point behind Norris and 23 behind Piastri.
As the second half of the season nears, Norris knows that consistency and error-free weekends will be crucial in his quest for a maiden title.
“There’s still a long way to go, and I believe I can turn things around. But I also know that I have to do better.” He concluded by adding that “every race counts now.”
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