Lando Norris was left searching for answers after a frustrating outing at the Bahrain Grand Prix, despite securing a podium finish. The British driver crossed the line in third, trailing behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and Mercedes’ George Russell, but it was the nature of his performance that left him visibly dejected. With Piastri dominating the race from pole position and winning by a commanding margin, Norris found himself questioning his connection with the car.
Even though Norris retains a slender three-point lead in the championship standings, his demeanor following the race reflected more concern than celebration. “I wish I knew the answer,” he admitted after the race. “I don’t have an answer honestly, even for myself.” The McLaren driver, clearly at a loss, expressed a deep sense of frustration at his inability to unlock the potential of what many consider the strongest car on the grid this season.
Norris qualified sixth and never looked truly competitive, unable to extract the same performance that has defined his career highs. He described the disconnect he’s feeling behind the wheel, contrasting it with last season when he felt fully in control. “You just know when things click, when you feel confident, when you feel comfortable,” he said. “I’m just nowhere near the capability that I have, which hurts to say.”
His teammate, in stark contrast, appears to be thriving. Piastri’s win in Bahrain marked his second victory of the season, and he looked supremely confident throughout the weekend. The young Australian seems completely at ease with the MCL39, while Norris continues to struggle to find a setup that suits his driving style. The performance gap between the two McLaren drivers is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Despite his current form, Norris remains adamant that he has the skill and mindset to contend. “I have no doubt that I am good enough,” he said. “I’m confident I have everything I need, I have got what it takes. But something’s just not clicking with me in the car.” His reflections pointed to a deeper issue not one of talent, but of confidence and feel. “I’m not able to do any of the laps like I was doing last season. I knew every single corner, everything that was going to happen with the car, how it was going to happen. I felt on top of the car.”
Even referencing his win in Australia, Norris made it clear that his current performances are being propped up by the car’s strength rather than his own comfort behind the wheel. “Even in Australia, where I won the race, never felt comfortable, never felt confident. The car was just mega and that’s helping me get out of a lot of problems at the minute.”
Meanwhile, George Russell, who finished second, described his own struggles during the latter stages of the race. He encountered a series of technical issues with his Mercedes, including steering and brake problems. “It was exceptionally difficult towards the end,” he said. “The steering wheel, I was losing all my data and the brake pedal went into a failure mode. One minute the brakes were working properly, the next they weren’t. So I was pretty pleased when I saw the chequered flag.”
For Norris, though, the issue isn’t hardware. It’s psychological a mystery of feeling and rhythm, of finding his place inside a car that should be his greatest weapon.
