Norris Exposes McLaren Weakness After Costly Chinese GP Sprint Mistake
Lando Norris has revealed a key weakness in McLaren’s Formula 1 setup after an error cost him a potential sprint pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix. The Briton made a crucial mistake during the final moments of the sprint shootout, resulting in a disappointing fifth-place start for the first sprint race of the 2025 season.
Norris had shown promising pace throughout the session but locked up on his final flying lap, losing valuable time. As a result, he finished five-tenths of a second behind Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who secured a stunning sprint pole—his first since the 2021 British Grand Prix.
Reflecting on the mistake, Norris pointed out a key weakness in McLaren’s car performance, particularly in handling under braking. “It’s frustrating because we had the pace, but I made a mistake, and that cost us. The car is still tricky in certain conditions, and we need to work on that,” Norris admitted.
McLaren has been competitive so far in 2025, but this latest setback highlights areas where the team still needs improvement, especially in extracting performance under pressure. While Norris’ pace was encouraging, the lock-up suggests McLaren’s car may still lack consistency in critical braking zones, an issue that could impact their race performance in both the sprint and the main Grand Prix.
With Hamilton unexpectedly securing pole for the sprint, Ferrari has laid down a marker for the weekend. Meanwhile, Norris and McLaren will be hoping to make up ground in the sprint race, using it as a learning opportunity ahead of Sunday’s main event.
As the F1 season heats up, all eyes will be on Norris to see if he can recover and put McLaren back in contention in Shanghai.
