Stella defends Norris: ‘He’s too hard on himself’ following Bahrain challenges

Dominika Jordan
Apr 14, 2025, 08:18 AM ET

Norris self-critical after Bahrain, McLaren's Stella defends performance and team's efforts.

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Formula 1 leader Lando Norris was highly self-critical after experiencing setbacks in Bahrain, but McLaren principal Andrea Stella believes the driver was unfairly taking the blame for the team.

Norris stated he had been "clueless on track" after Saturday qualifying at Sakhir and admitted to making too many mistakes after finishing third on Sunday in a race won by teammate Oscar Piastri. “Every time I did one thing good, I did two bad,” said the Briton, who leads Piastri by three points.

Norris added, "Something's just not clicking with me and the car. The car was just mega and that's helping me get out of a lot of problems at the minute. But I'm just nowhere near the capability that I have—which hurts."

Stella praised Norris's openness, contrasting it with other champions who usually point the blame elsewhere. "He is quite self-critical. Lando raises his hand, absolving the team; 'It was me, not the team.' Which is entirely inaccurate. We know what technically made Lando's life less easy," said Stella, who worked with Michael Schumacher at Ferrari.

Stella emphasized that Norris's issues were temporary and related to pushing the car to its limits. “We understand what it is and are working together to fix it. Lando has an incredible race craft, and we are optimistic this will be resolved.”

The McLaren principal also noted that the team shares the blame and is working to make Norris more comfortable in the car. Norris conceded he was hard on himself but felt it was necessary to manage his frustration.

“When I know what I can do and what I’m capable of, and I’m not even close to reaching that ... I’m very disappointed in myself," Norris said. "Maybe sometimes I lack a bit of self-belief, but it’s what has made me as good as I am. It probably has limited me from becoming a better driver ... But I’m happy. I think what I can do and achieve is good enough and easily up there with the best.”