F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher has criticised McLaren driver Lando Norris for his “lack of fundamental overtaking skills” after the Miami Grand Prix.
Norris started the season strongly, winning the Australian Grand Prix, but his performance declined due to struggles with the MCL39, which lacked the predictability he enjoyed in 2024. His discomfort led to errors, like a costly qualifying crash in Saudi Arabia, and he was outperformed by teammate Oscar Piastri, who adapted better to the car’s handling.
Lando Norris is not capable of reading racing situations, says Ralf Schumacher
”The reality is he simply isn’t capable of it; otherwise, he would perform better. He has been in this environment long enough. There are no justifications for this kind of behaviour,” the former F1 driver said on Sky Germany’s podcast Backstage Boxengasse.
The Briton put pressure on Max Verstappen at the start of the Miami GP, but had to veer off the track to avoid contact with his rival. Schumacher continues on and names Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Oliver Bearman as better examples in preparing overtaking manoeuvres, compared on Norris.
“There are drivers who have a keen eye for it; for example, Max. The same goes for Piastri and Bearman, who are great examples of preparing someone for an overtaking manoeuvre. Lando simply lacks that skill, and he will not learn it.
“That’s how it is; as a result, he attempted it, and it was a defiant reaction. Unfortunately, it occurred at the wrong place and at the wrong time, which poses a challenge. Therefore, I will say it again; he can’t learn it and will stay that way.”
Schumacher: Lack of overtaking skills is not the path to become a world champion
In races, where Norris is in front, he dominates and can drive off. However, when he is in the midfield, fighting all the at up to P1, the McLaren driver doesn’t have the pace. Schumacher names the battle with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in Jeddah as one example to underline the issues from Norris.
“In my opinion, the same thing happened in Jeddah. His maneuvers with Hamilton indicate a lack of fundamental overtaking skills,” says Schumacher.
“This is something typically learned in karting, so he should be capable of executing it. Once again this weekend, while progressing through the field, he occasionally took too much time, which is concerning, and that’s not the path to becoming a world champion.”
In the championship standings, Norris led the way until Saudi Arabia. As team-mate Oscar Piastri started to become stronger and ultimately more consistent. The Australian took over and continues to lead after his victorious drive in Miami. Norris is still second place, 16 points ahead of Verstappen.
