Latest news with #McLaren
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lando Norris has completely lost his mojo – McLaren F1 star needs quick fix to downward spiral
On the McLaren pit wall, situated at the end of the home straight in Montreal, they'd have literally felt the shudders and vibrations. The moment their two drivers and championship contenders collided and the moment the ill-titled 'papaya rules' first creaked, in a manner only a crash at 200mph can do. The post-mortem was actually very prompt and concise. Oscar Piastri, to the relief of the entire team, was unimpacted. He finished fourth, to conclude a damage limitation weekend. Team principal Andrea Stella put the incident simply down to a 'miscalculation'. And Lando Norris, in a matter of seconds, took full blame for driving up the back of his teammate, cutting short his race and costing him 10 points in the title fight. Advertisement To an extent, Norris should be applauded for how rapidly he took full accountability for a crash he labelled as 'stupid'. The Briton was in the wrong, eyeing a non-existent gap down the inside, with a collision unavoidable. He immediately apologised to Piastri in the media pen. The antithesis of Max Verstappen, there was no intra-team feud to see here. All is well. Norris walks away from his stricken McLaren in Montreal (Getty) Except, all is not well. With Norris, in particular. Why? Well, the Bristolian has completely lost his mojo. If this were an isolated incident, it'd be easier to move on. But the 25-year-old has, with two anomalies, endured a torrid first three months of the season. A season in which he started out as the favourite, armed with the fastest car. And if he can't find an antidote quickly, a maiden world title looks set to run away from him, both on the track and on the leaderboard. Advertisement The mistakes have been plentiful. Errors on his final laps in Q3, the top-10 grid-setting phase of qualifying, have been an all too common occurrence, costing him pole positions in China, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He inexplicably crashed out in Jeddah, forcing a recovery drive the next day from 10th to fourth. His form, bar Monaco, did not improve as F1 returned to Europe. The Q3 errors continued in Imola and Barcelona, putting him on the back foot while Piastri enjoyed clean air and dominated out in front. Canada also showed the continuation of a worrying trend. Norris was quickest in the final practice session and, with Piastri struggling around the unique street circuit, pole seemed well within his grasp. Yet while the Mercedes of George Russell put together a perfect lap, Norris faltered twice: missing the final chicane on his first lap and clipping the wall on his second attempt. You have to wonder how the finale to his first title voyage last year – up against the unrufflable force of Verstappen – has affected him. The drivers' championship was well within reach in 2024, as McLaren stormed to the front of the pack. Last year, however, it was a weakness at the start which curtailed his challenge. From eight pole positions last year, Norris failed to lead after the first lap in seven of them. Advertisement It's not rocket science. You cannot win an F1 world championship with such glaringly crushing statistics. But more distressingly this year is the way in which Norris's endearing and cheeky persona seems to have departed. The driver a whole fanbase fell in love with, with his genuinely amusing Drive to Survive snippets, has been replaced with a driver whose continual knack of self-deprecating quotes is somewhat excruciating to listen to. Post-qualifying in Canada, it was 'I just made too many mistakes', while on Sunday it was even more stark. 'When I let them [McLaren] down like this and make a fool of myself like I did today, I have a lot of regret,' he said. Advertisement 'I'm not proud of myself, I feel bad, so apologies to all of them... I've let down the team and that's going to stay with me for a little while.' Even in customary press sessions with the media – granted, the drivers do a lot of them – Norris seems increasingly unengaged. A man going through the motions, his eyes often wander to the golf on the screens in the McLaren motorhome. Even with weekly interviewer Rachel Brookes for Sky Sports, Norris can barely raise a smile at the moment. This is not the charming, affable man we all know. Norris has endured a difficult first three months of the 2025 season (Getty) Oscar Piastri (left) now leads Norris by 22 points at the top of the world championship (PA) Nico Rosberg, brilliant again on punditry duties for Sky with his knowledge and eye for detail, believes it is time Norris employed a mental coach. Advertisement 'He [Lando] needs to work on the mental side', 2016 world champion Rosberg said at the last race in Spain. 'We all work hours and hours training our bodies… does he work with a psychologist or not? He definitely should because there's so much value in that.' This is not a new area of expertise in professional sports. The likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Steven Gerrard and Chris Hoy have worked with well-respected sports psychologist Dr Steve Peters. Even Rosberg himself, amid the heightened tension of his intra-team title battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2016, used a mental coach. Rosberg has even sent a message to Norris on Instagram with the suggestion. No reply was forthcoming. 'I worked with one, just to understand the best possible approach,' Rosberg added. 'I did two hours every two days leading up to the season. It was more difficult than the physical training, it was insanely difficult and extremely valuable.' 2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg believes Norris should employ a mental coach (Getty) Rosberg also went into further detail in Montreal regarding Norris's continuous self-deprecatory manner. 'If you say every day 'I'm not good enough', at some point you'll believe it,' he said. Advertisement 'I would strongly recommend he reduces that [negative comments], not always the negative.' Of course, none of us know the full detail of what is happening behind closed doors and in between the ears. It should be stated that there have been flashes of Norris's brilliance behind the wheel this year: those two anomalies coming at the season-opener in Australia and around the streets of Monaco. Two sumptuous pole positions were converted supremely to two victories. The talent and skill are still present. And it's also worth mentioning that the situation is not yet disastrous. The gap at the top is only 22 points. If Norris wins the next race in Austria and Piastri is forced to retire, the Briton would be back on top. Plenty can change and swing over the next 14 races and six months, including Norris's form and temperament. But at the moment, his downward spiral is alarming. Aussie rival Piastri has received plaudits for his coolness and composure under pressure. Across the garage, Norris is struggling to cope with the strain and stress of 'his year'. McLaren CEO Zak Brown is the Briton's biggest backer, and perhaps he can conjure a remedy. Because, right now, a quick fix is required to bring him back into contention.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Austrian Grand Prix prediction & F1 betting tips: Bounce-back performance from Norris
Lando Norris is being tipped to perform after a poor show in Canada (The Canadian Press) Austrian Grand Prix betting tips Lando Norris to win - 9/4 Unibet George Russell to finish on the podium - 11/8 William Hill F1 is back in Europe this weekend, with the first race of this stretch taking place in Austria, through the picturesque Styrian mountains. Oscar Piastri goes into the race with 22-point lead in the Drivers' Championship over his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris and 43 ahead of current world champion Max Verstappen. Advertisement Verstappen has a great record at Red Bull's home race, winning five times at the Red Bull Ring, but some betting sites price him at 7/2 to add to his tally as they anticipate a weekend dominated by McLaren. Austrian Grand Prix betting preview: Norris back on top Round 10 was one to forget for Norris, whose mistake during the closing stage of the race in Canada left him admitting he had 'made a fool' of himself. With the McLarens travelling in fourth and fifth with three laps to go, Norris collided with his team mate, and although Piastri was able to continue without any damage, Norris broke his suspension, costing him 10 precious championship points. Advertisement After finishing second to Verstappen in the 2024 Drivers' Championship, Norris is once more in danger of having to the bridesmaid once more behind the more consistent Piastri, who is odds-on for the title on betting apps. Norris has has finished second in three of his last five races, twice to Piastri and once to Verstappen. The 25-year-old also won in Monaco, which was his second victory of the season and first since the season opener in Australia. F1 betting sites are offering 9/4 on him winning in Spielberg, just behind his McLaren teammate, who is the favourite at 13/8. The Red Bull Ring is a tracxk Norris knows well having achieved his first ever podium finish in Austria back in 2020, finishing third behind Valtteri Bottas and Charles Leclerc, while the Brit also clocked the fastest lap time that day. Advertisement He also finished third the following season, behind the winner Verstappen and second placed Bottas and may be capable of delivering the perfect response to his Canada accident. Austrian Grand Prix prediction 1: - Lando Norris to win 9/4 Unibet Austria Grand Prix tips: Russell looking for an Austria repeat Mercedes driver George Russell was victorious last time out at the Canadian Grand Prix, taking the chequered flag ahead of Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli after a controlled drive. The Brit is another driver who has happy memories of this tracck having won last year's race in Austria when he took advantage of Verstappen and Norris colliding while contesting the lead. Advertisement Betting sites are offering 8/1 on him winning at the Red Bull Ring, or you can get F1 odds of 11/8 on him finishing on the podium for the sixth time this season. Austrian Grand Prix prediction 2: George Russell to finish on the podium - 11/8 William Hill Please gamble responsibly When using gambling sites be aware that sports betting can be addictive. Please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you're using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium. Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses. Advertisement It's particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution. You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having: We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Norris Leads McLaren Practice One-Two After Dunne Shines
Lando Norris led Formula One leader Oscar Piastri in a McLaren one-two in second practice for the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday after George Russell went fastest for Mercedes in the opening session. Norris had handed his car to Alex Dunne for an impressive F1 practice debut for the Irish rookie and Formula Two leader, but the Briton was right up to speed as soon as he got back behind the wheel. After Russell's best of one minute 05.542 seconds in the early afternoon, Norris -- 22 points behind Piastri in the title battle after 10 of 24 races -- lapped in 1:04.580 with Piastri 0.157 slower. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, a five-times winner at his team's home circuit, was the only other driver under the five second mark with a 1:04.898. "We've shown a bit more pace than some of the others. I certainly think they're going to catch up. Max is not far behind and they usually improve a lot into Saturday," said Norris. Russell, winner from pole position in Canada two weeks ago after the McLarens collided, was sixth in practice two with Lance Stroll a surprise fourth for Aston Martin and Charles Leclerc fifth for Ferrari. "First practice was definitely a surprise to us," commented Russell. "The McLarens were mighty strong, especially this afternoon. I don't really see that changing. We'll do our best but I don't really think we'll be fighting for pole." Verstappen was without regular race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase for the weekend due to personal reasons with Simon Rennie taking over. "Overall today was quite straightforward and we didn't have any big issues," said Verstappen. "He (Rennie) has a lot of experience so it has been very very good today, he is straight up and it was nice." DUNNE IMPRESSES Dunne, given track time as part of team obligations to give rookie drivers F1 experience, was the talk of the first session when he lapped fourth fastest and only 0.069 slower than Piastri. Still only 19 and the first Irish driver in 22 years to take part in a grand prix weekend, he thanked the team over the radio as the chequered flag fell. "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life," he said. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car." McLaren team boss Andrea Stella cautioned not to read too much into the time, however. "Alex has been quite diligent and impressive, and then he also had the chance to show some speed and, no surprise, he is a fast driver," said the Italian. "I think we need to be a bit careful looking at the lap times, because his came later on in the stint when the fuel was down. But I think encouraging and impressive in terms of Alex himself, and also I think a good session for McLaren." Austria has the shortest lap of the year in terms of time and all but 20th-placed Haas driver Oliver Bearman were within a second of Russell in the opening session. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was ninth and 10th respectively in the sessions as Ferrari made a difficult start to their preparations with mechanics working on both cars during practice one. Hamilton was also warned for impeding Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. Leclerc sat out the first session with Swedish reserve Dino Beganovic getting some track time and finishing 18th. Fernando Alonso had a big spin in his Aston Martin but kept the car out of the barriers.
Motor 1
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Longtime Ferrari Boss Might Be Working for McLaren
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo is one of the most important people in Ferrari's history. He first worked for the Formula 1 team in the 1970s and joined the company again in 1991, becoming Enzo Ferrari's successor. In his tenure, which lasted until 2014, Montezemolo oversaw a transformation in Ferrari's road-car business and its most dominant period in F1. Now, it seems he's working for Ferrari's closest rival—McLaren. A Reddit user noticed earlier today that Montezemolo was just listed as a director for McLaren Group Holdings Limited on Companies House, the British government agency that maintains a registry for companies in the country. We've reached out to McLaren Automotive for comment. McLaren Group Holdings Limited controls McLaren Automotive, the road-car division of the famous British brand. Abu Dhabi investment firm CYVN Holdings purchased McLaren Automotive last December and merged it with Forseven, a UK EV startup it also owns. Last month, McLaren Automotive announced Forseven CEO Nick Collins would take over as chief executive for the supercar company. Collins was formerly head of R&D for Jaguar Land Rover. As of right now, it seems like Montezemolo won't have anything to do with McLaren's F1 team, which is still controlled by the Bahrain-owned McLaren Group. Under Montezemolo's tenure, Ferrari's road car business went from malaise to the envy of the automotive industry. The cars that came out during his 13 years at the company are among the best it's ever made—F355, 550, F50, Enzo, 599, 458, F12berlinetta, LaFerrari, and more. He also hugely boosted sales with the California while pushing more limited-run and one-off models too. CYVN wants to turn around McLaren Automotive's business. With Montezemolo on board, it has someone that did the same with Ferrari with panache. Source: Companies House via Reddit Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The 42
an hour ago
- Automotive
- The 42
Hamilton given formal warning as difficult Ferrari start continues
LEWIS HAMILTON'S DIFFICULT start to life at Ferrari continued on Friday as he was handed a warning by the race stewards after winding up 10th in second practice for the Austrian Grand Prix. The seven-time champion was alleged to have impeded his successor at Mercedes, Italian teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli, at turn four of the fast and technical Red Bull Ring circuit in the Styrian Alps. Hamilton apologised immediately and explained that he had not seen Antonelli approaching behind him as he descended over the crest of a hill on a slow lap and drifted into the racing line. Hamilton raised his hand to signal his apology to Antonelli as he passed him. After speaking to Hamilton, the stewards decided to give the Briton a formal warning — the usual sanction for such a misdemeanour in practice. It is the third time this season that Hamilton has been warned. 'The driver of car 44 (Hamilton), although constantly checking his mirrors after being informed by the team about car 12 (Antonelli) closing in, slowly moved on to the racing line on the approach to turn four and thereby unnecessarily impeded car 12 which had to take evasive action,' said the stewards in a statement. Hamilton was given a three-place grid drop at the Monaco Grand Prix where he impeded four-time champion Max Verstappen in qualifying when his race engineer Riccardo Adami wrongly informed him that the Dutchman was not on a flying lap. Advertisement Hamilton struggled with gearbox problems on Friday as he evaluated a new floor design on his Ferrari car. His teammate Charles Leclerc was fifth, six-tenths off the pace of McLaren's Lando Norris. Offaly teenager Alex Dunne, a McLaren junior and the current Formula 2 Championship leader, finished fourth in his first ever F1 session as he temporarily deputised for Lando Norris. Meanwhile, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff suggested he was interested in signing Max Verstappen to partner George Russell in a potentially explosive driver line-up for the 2026 season. During a series of interviews, it emerged that he had made contract with the four-time world champion and that this had affected contract talks with Russell who has been in outstanding form this year. Russell told Sky Sports F1 that it was entirely 'normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing', adding that a team that aims to win the championship has to go for the best drivers, engineers and pit-crews to succeed. 'But from my side, if I'm performing as I'm doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula 1 team.' Wolff has flirted with the idea of recruiting Verstappen for some time, but also expressed satisfaction with the current partnership of Russell and teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli — a precocious talent, but not yet an experienced or metronomic points-scorer. It may be, as many seasoned observers believe, that Wolff feels he can manage the testy rivalry between Russell and Verstappen, who have clashed several times in the last year both on and off the track. But, he conceded, it remains much more likely that Russell will stay at Mercedes next year -– his contract ends this season -– than that Verstappen, who is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, will arrive. 'He has been part of our programme for 10 years,' Wolff said. 'He's always performed to the expectations and he's continuing to do so. These are normal business contract discussions as I have been doing for 30 years… And contract discussions are not held in Town Halls.' He added in a separate interview: 'At the moment, clearly you need to explore what's happening in the future, but it doesn't change anything of what I said before about George, about Kimi, about the line-up that I'm extremely happy having'. Verstappen declined to comment on the speculation when asked in a news conference on Thursday, but he is known to be frustrated with his Red Bull car this year. 'I don't think we need to talk about that,' the 27-year-old said. 'It's not really on my mind. Just driving well, trying to push the performance and then we focus on next year.' Much may depend on events at Red Bull where long-serving team consultant Helmut Marko is a key part of Verstappen's inner circle, but may be considering his own future amid reports that four-time champion Sebastian Vettel has been approached to replace him. In the wake of the departures of F1′s most successful designer Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber-Audi, it could be that Verstappen is also ready to leave. Next year will see F1 move into a new era with major rule changes requiring new engines and new cars –- an opportunity that may favour a Mercedes revival. – © AFP 2025
