Lando Norris reflects on qualifying mishaps at Emilia-Romagna GP

Dominika Jordan
May 17, 2025, 02:00 PM ET

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Lando Norris Reflects on Qualifying Struggles at Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

Imola, Italy — McLaren's Lando Norris was left lamenting a string of errors during qualifying at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, where he secured fourth place on the grid for Sunday’s race. The young Briton found himself 0.292 seconds adrift of his teammate, Oscar Piastri, who claimed pole position, and behind the Red Bull of Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell.

"I made a lot of mistakes," Norris candidly admitted in a post-session media briefing. "Yeah, it's just never good enough in my final lap in qualifying, you know? Everyone goes quicker, and I always go slower. Just not good enough."

Norris Trails Piastri in Championship Battle

The gulf between Norris and Piastri has continued to widen in recent weeks, with his Australian teammate securing four consecutive wins. Norris now sits 16 points behind Piastri in the championship standings. A strong result will be critical in Sunday’s 63-lap contest, but the uphill task at the tight, technical Imola circuit could leave the gap even larger heading into Monaco.

Norris’ struggles under pressure have been a recurring theme this season. After a tough qualifying session in Bahrain and a crash in Q3 during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the typically reliable one-lap specialist has yet to rediscover his rhythm.

Frustration in Qualifying Performance

"I don't know," Norris said when asked about his lack of performance in closing qualifying stages. "I'm not going to just blame the car — that's not me.

"I felt good all weekend. I feel good in Q1 and Q2, I felt like the lap time is available, but when I try and go for lap time, it just doesn’t go."

The sense of frustration was clear from the 23-year-old McLaren driver, who has long prided himself on his qualifying prowess.

"In my whole career qualifying has been my biggest strength, by a long way. This year it is just not going my way. I think we understand some reasons why. But yeah, of course, I'm not going to be the happiest about it, because I want to be fighting for pole, and things are just not going the way that they should do.

"So, I'm working hard. The team are working hard, and, yeah, it's difficult moments, but it's the way it is at the minute."

Looking Ahead to Race Day

Looking ahead to race day, Norris acknowledged the challenges of working through the pack at Imola, where overtaking opportunities are few and far between. "It's going to be tricky. I think just overtaking naturally is going to be quite impossible here, you know?" he said.

Norris outlined potential avenues for progress, with much hinging on tire strategy. "There are maybe good chances on strategy. I have to just hope the tires die very quickly and maybe we can do better as a team than others, and maybe that will open up my chances to do overcuts or undercuts on the guys ahead."

However, limited race simulations during the practice sessions add an extra layer of uncertainty. "We've not done many long runs. We've not used the hard tire yet, so there are many, many unanswered questions. But of course, I'll do everything as always to try race my way back."

A Crucial Battle for Norris

With an uphill battle ahead, this could be a crucial juncture for Norris to prove his mettle and begin closing the gap to his on-fire teammate. The Emilia-Romagna GP promises drama, and all eyes will be on how McLaren strategizes to maximize its chances.