Despite qualifying fourth for the 2025 F1 Imola GP, McLaren’s Lando Norris expressed disappointment with his result. The Briton admitted that small mistakes cost him a chance at the front row, especially in the final moments of Q3 where his teammate Oscar Piastri secured pole position.
“I made a lot of mistakes. Never good enough in my final lap in Quali. Everyone goes quicker and I always go slower. Just not good enough,” Norris said, speaking to written media after the session.
Self-criticism over missed opportunity
Norris remained candid about his struggles during qualifying and took full responsibility for the result. When asked whether there had been a disconnect between him and the MCL39, he firmly denied it, instead placing the blame on his own performance.
“No, the car is mega. It’s on pole and it’s the best car on track. I wasn’t,” he stated.
He acknowledged a minor struggle on his opening lap but admitted he could not identify the cause. “I don’t know [why I struggled with the car], to be honest. I’m not going to just blame the car. That’s not me.”
Qualifying inconsistencies in 2025 Season
The McLaren driver revealed that his performances in earlier sessions had been strong, and he felt confident leading up to Q3. However, he admitted he had failed to extract the available lap time when it mattered most.
“I felt good all weekend. I felt good in Q1 and Q2. I felt like there’s lap time available. But when I try and go for lap time, it just doesn’t go.”
Norris highlighted that this had been a recurring issue throughout the season, in stark contrast to his form in 2024. “Clearly, a lot of things changed from last year. Last year, this was my biggest [season] in my whole career. Qualifying has been my biggest strength by a long way. This year, it’s just not coming my way.”
Understanding the struggles but demanding more
While Norris believes he and the team have begun to understand the reasons behind his form dip, he made clear his dissatisfaction with the outcome. He stressed his desire to be in the fight for pole positions and victories.
“I think we understand some reasons why. Of course, I’m not going to be the happiest about it because I want to be fighting for pole. Things are just not going the way that they should do. I’m working hard, the team are working hard. It’s difficult moments, but it’s the way it is at the minute.”
When asked if finishing behind his teammate made the result more difficult to accept, Norris responded, “No, I mean, it’s difficult because I’m not on pole.” He reiterated his competitive drive, saying, “I want to fight for pole. Formula 1 is difficult.”
Norris’ approach to the 2025 F1 Imola GP
Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Norris acknowledged the challenge of overtaking at Imola, but remained optimistic that a well-executed strategy and tyre management could open up opportunities.
“It’s going to be tricky. I think just overtaking naturally is going to be quite impossible. But there’s maybe some good chances of strategy. I have to just hope the tyres die very quickly. I think that we can do better as a team than others. Maybe that will open up my chances to do overcuts or undercuts on the guys ahead.”
Norris also pointed out the team’s limited data on long runs and the hard tyre, which could introduce further variables into Sunday’s race.
“But we’ve not done many long runs. We’ve not used the hard tyre yet. So many unanswered questions.”
Despite the uncertainties, he committed to giving everything on race day.
“Of course, I’ll do everything, as always, to try to race my way back.”
Tyre strategy and race dynamics
When asked whether McLaren might consider splitting strategies due to the lack of data, Norris replied, “I have no idea. I just did Qualifying.”
He also revealed that he had considered using the medium tyre during Qualifying, after strong showings on that compound from drivers such as George Russell, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll.
“Yes, at times, because the medium is just as good as the soft. In fact, maybe it’s better. Potential, you know. Some drivers did do it. But we’ll see.”
Norris emphasised the importance of a strong start, though he recognised how difficult that could be on such a narrow circuit.
“It’s a one-stop, maybe a two-stop. Of course, the start is my biggest opportunity. But to get past more than one person off the line here is not very easy. It’s very narrow. I’m racing with drivers who take a lot of risks. It’s a long season and I’ve got to balance my way through it.”
Podium hopes remain alive, but realism prevails
Despite the challenges, Norris did not rule out a potential podium finish—though he remained cautious about his chances.
“Yeah but not a lot,” he said when asked if he still held hope for a top-three result. “I don’t think our pace is that much better. It’s definitely going to be better I presume than the others. I’m here to win and now I don’t have much of a chance of winning. If I can get on the podium that would be nice.”
