Lando Norris frustrated with McLaren car despite Bahrain GP podium finish

Dominika Jordan
Apr 13, 2025, 04:07 PM ET

Lando Norris frustrated with McLaren performance despite Bahrain GP podium finish and penalty.

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Lando Norris expressed frustration over his performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix, despite managing to secure a podium finish. The McLaren driver admitted he's still "not clicking" with his car after a messy, error-ridden drive that saw him claw back to a respectable third place.

Starting from sixth on the grid following a disappointing qualifying session, Norris described himself as "clueless" about how to drive his car. He immediately compounded his rough start with a five-second penalty for lining up outside his grid box.

Norris' race was marked by a series of scruffy wheel-to-wheel battles with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and he fell short of catching Mercedes driver George Russell for second place. Meanwhile, his teammate Oscar Piastri claimed victory, allowing Norris to maintain a three-point lead in the championship standings.

"Mixed feelings," Norris said after the race. "I think the pace was good. The car's obviously mega, as Oscar showed. But yeah, just too many mistakes today."

When asked about the positives he could take from the race, Norris quipped: "That I finished, probably."

Norris' grid slot error was multifaceted, stemming from lining up too early and then overcorrecting his position. "At the beginning, I was too far back. So I tried to creep forward and go forward and did the opposite. First time I've ever done this in my life. Shouldn't happen. But it did, and I paid the price for it," he explained.

This penalty forced Norris into an early pit stop and set an aggressive tone for the rest of his race. "I had the penalty. I boxed earlier than everyone else. I had to push more to try and make up five seconds," Norris said. "Just about made it up. But then I'm on older tires, much hotter tires, and kind of paid the price for that again. So just every time I did one thing good, I did two bad, in a way."

Despite his frustration, Norris acknowledged the potential of the McLaren. "The car was just mega. And that's helping me get out of a lot of problems at the minute. But, you know, I'm just nowhere near the capability that I have, which hurts to say."

When asked if he felt a drastic change was needed, Norris admitted: "I wish I knew the answer. I don't have an answer. Honestly, even for myself, whether or not I would share it with you guys, I don't know. But I just, you just know when you're an athlete, when you're a driver, whatever it is, you just know when things click, when you feel confident, when you feel comfortable."

Teammate Piastri's comfortable victory highlighted Norris' internal struggle further. "I've spent a lot of time, even last night. I left late last night to look into everything and understand, you know, what I'm struggling with, what's not clicking," Norris revealed. "It's complicated, but I'm not doubting myself. Even though sometimes it may seem like that, it's just something's not gelling, something's not clicking. And therefore, I just don't feel comfortable when I'm in the car."

The podium finish in Bahrain underscores the inherent potential for Norris but also draws attention to his ongoing battle to fully synchronize with his McLaren car.