Ralf Schumacher points the finger at McLaren for the challenges faced by Lando Norris following the crash at the Canadian Grand Prix, highlighting team mistakes and strategy flaws responsible for the driver’s ongoing struggles.
McLaren driver Lando Norris would have wished for a better return to action at the Canadian Grand Prix.
After a gruelling triple header that saw Lando Norris close the gap to Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ championship, one crucial error saw the Australian extend that lead once again.
McLaren have provided their drivers with the fastest cars on the grid, but Piastri has done a far better job of extracting the car’s potential.
Norris made two crucial errors during qualifying, skipping the final chicane on his first run before hitting the barriers on his last attempt.
It means Norris had work to do, but starting on the alternative strategy, he caught Piastri in the closing stages.
The British driver misjudged a move on his teammate heading towards the first corner, colliding with the back of his car and bringing his race to an end.
Fans praised Norris for taking responsibility for his actions, but he had to watch on from the pit lane as Piastri scored 12 points, and he was left with nothing.
Ralf Schumacher has reacted to Norris’ latest setback and believes McLaren need to take some of the blame for his early exit from the race.
Nico Rosberg was worried about one radio message Norris received from the team, and Schumacher wondered whether they’re proving to be more of a distraction than anything else.
Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images
Ralf Schumacher explains why McLaren are partly to blame for Lando Norris’ struggles
Schumacher was asked on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast about the difference between Piastri and Norris this season and explained: “Specifically, I don’t think it’s the difference between the two, but the difference is that you know where to push, at what time and where you can really make up time on your team-mates without overstretching the tyres.
“That means driving straighter at times, braking straighter and a bit later and then maybe being a bit more careful with the throttle and not overheating the tyres.
“So this sensitivity, one would have said in the old days, that Professor Lando Norris has that.
“That means he has the sensitivity to drive fast, to take care of the car, to take care of the tyres.
“The only problem is in his head, and I have to say that the team is also to blame, just like in qualifying.
“He makes this mistake, yes, and then the team says, OK, do this, do that, don’t do this, don’t do that, don’t brake too late.
“That means all of that gets brought in from the outside, and of course, that doesn’t help.
“Quite the opposite, you know how it is in life, when you think about things too much, things usually happen.”
Nico Rosberg tells Andrea Stella the ‘talk’ he needs to have with Lando Norris
Formula 1 is an extremely high-pressure environment, and Norris isn’t the first driver to be punished for making the smallest errors.
The grid has converged more than ever before, with drivers regularly split by hundreds of a second.
Rosberg has told Andrea Stella what he needs to say to Norris to help him get over his mistake in Canada.
The way McLaren manage Norris over the coming weeks will be pivotal to whether he has a chance of winning his first drivers’ championship.
Otherwise, Oscar Piastri will become the first Australian driver since Alan Jones in 1980.
