Ralf Schumacher points out a major flaw in Lando Norris' driving: “He’s missing the basics of overtaking”
Ralf Schumacher believed that Lando Norris lacked key overtaking skills in his race craft, following the McLaren driver’s performance in the Miami Grand Prix. Ahead of the 2025 Imola GP, the former F1 driver remarked that Norris had a long way to go before being considered a world championship contender.
Norris lost positions at the start in Miami, dropping to sixth after failing to pass Max Verstappen. While he eventually recovered to win the race, it took him over 12 laps and multiple attempts to overtake the Red Bull driver, despite McLaren’s clear pace advantage on the Miami layout. His inability to surge through the field more decisively was viewed as a shortcoming.
Schumacher suggested that Norris lacked the instinctive overtaking ability typically developed during karting. He argued that to become a world champion, the Briton must learn to dispatch rivals more efficiently in wheel-to-wheel combat. Meanwhile, Sky Italia pundit Leo Turrini gave Norris a tongue-in-cheek nickname, ‘Blando,’ describing the McLaren driver's lacklustre start in Miami.
Speaking on the Sky Germany podcast about Norris, Schumacher said:
“Norris simply lacks that, and he won’t learn it. He’s missing the basics of overtaking. You actually learn that in karts, so he should be able to do it. He also took too long to get to the front at times. That’s a problem, quite honestly. And that’s not how he’ll become world champion.”
Describing Lando Norris at the start of the Miami GP, Turrini said:
“As usual… Blando at the start.”
Damon Hill reckons Lando Norris' longer tenure at McLaren does not guarantee him priority
Damon Hill believed that McLaren would eventually have to choose between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, regardless of who has been with the team longer. Speaking on BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, the 1996 Formula 1 world champion suggested that McLaren would ultimately back the driver who delivers the best results.
Hill noted that the team didn't belong to the driver with seniority, and that in the end, McLaren would act in its own best interests. Speaking on the BBC podcast about Lando Norris, Hill said:
“It’s not a home for racing drivers, a race team. He’s put in the graft, he’s been there earlier, before Oscar. But the team belongs to the team, and the drivers are passing through; the part they [have], they either work for the team and deliver what the team wants, or they don’t. The team might give them a fantastic career coming second for a long time, but that’s not what you want.
“You want to win, and they want a winner, and they’re going to find a winner between the two of them, and they’ll be very happy with Oscar if it’s not Lando. They don’t care. So that’s the situation. It doesn’t belong to you just because you’ve been there longer.”
After being outperformed by his teammate at the Miami GP, Lando Norris would need to up his game to mount a serious title challenge. In the Drivers’ championship, Oscar Piastri leads with 131 points, followed by Norris with 115, while Max Verstappen sits third on 99 points.
In the Constructors’ standings, McLaren leads the pack with 246 points, ahead of Mercedes on 141 and Red Bull Racing with 105.