Lando Norris reveals “painful” McLaren deficit after Bahrain GP
Lando Norris has revealed McLaren’s ongoing straightline speed deficit is costing him almost two-tenths of a second per lap, labelling the situation “painful as hell”.
The British driver endured a compromised Bahrain Grand Prix at Malaysia. After starting from fifth on the grid, Norris dropped to 16th on medium tyres as it became apparent that the intermediate tyres were the optimum choice.
In addition to his poor start, the 2025 champion was forced to take avoiding action at a safety car restart after misjudging the speed of the cars ahead of him. He went off into the gravel, dropping from eighth to 11th.
“I just couldn’t see from my angle how much they literally just stopped on the racing line,” Norris told Sky Sports F1 after the race.
“At the end of the day, it’s my job to judge that kind of thing, but that was not a normal situation, so it caught me out. I don’t really have anyone else to blame but myself, but there was nothing else I could do in that situation.”
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
When asked about the straightline speed issue and whether it could be resolved by next weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Norris added: “I have no idea. The team are trying, but I’m losing almost two tenths every lap. Two tenths a lap over 55 laps, it’s just painful as hell, so it’s making my life pretty damn difficult.
“But there are also other things. Today, I could have done better, so I can’t just have that. That’s not just an excuse, but there are also things I can do better, and the team to do better as well.”
Norris managed to salvage a ninth-place finish, collecting two points. His McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri finished sixth, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed his first win of the season.
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