Lando Norris dealt blow with damning verdict as Oscar Piastri shines

Lando Norris entered the 2025 season carrying heavier championship hopes than at any point in his career.



McLaren’s engineers unveiled a car billed as a genuine title contender, and many expected the Briton to spearhead the papaya resurgence.



Instead, early rounds have flipped the script in dramatic fashion.



Oscar Piastri has swept the opening trio of grands prix in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Miami, vaulting to the top of the standings.







Norris, by contrast, has battled imperfect starts and mounting self-criticism.



Piastri’s Statement of Intent



Each Piastri victory has tightened his grip on the McLaren garage and the 2025 conversation.



His calm demeanor and clinical execution have impressed rivals and engineers alike.



Those same attributes have intensified the glare on his team-mate.



Starts Continue to Haunt



Norris’s Miami experience captured the pattern all too clearly.



After launching from the front row, he slipped to sixth during a tense tussle with Max Verstappen.



Though he recovered to second, pundits quickly highlighted what might have been with a cleaner getaway.



‘Blando’ Nickname Takes Hold



Italian analyst Leo Turrini delivered an eight-out-of-ten score for Norris yet coined a stinging label.



“As usual…Blando at the start.”



The quip resonated across social media, reinforcing the idea that Norris’s Achilles heel remains the opening 200 metres.



Schumacher’s Stark Assessment



Former grand prix winner Ralf Schumacher joined the chorus on Sky Sports Germany’s podcast.



“Norris isn’t capable of it, otherwise he would do better.



“He’s been around long enough; there are no excuses for something like that.



“There are simply some drivers who have a superb eye for it.



That’s Verstappen, for example, as are Piastri and Bearman.



“Norris simply lacks that, and he won’t learn it.



It will stay that way.



Accordingly, he tried it at the start.



It was a defiant reaction, but he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”



Title Picture Still Open



Despite the critiques, Norris sits only sixteen points adrift of his team-mate.



A single victory swing could erase the gap.



Yet Schumacher warns deeper weaknesses linger.



“He’s missing the basics of overtaking.



You actually learn that in karts, so he should be able to do it.



He also took too long to get to the front at times.



That’s a problem, quite honestly.



And that’s not how he’ll become world champion.”




Sebastian #Vettel breaks silence on Mick #Schumacher joining Cadillac https://t.co/rAHXT4SiBl — Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) May 9, 2025




Road Ahead



European venues such as Imola and Barcelona will test McLaren’s latest upgrade package.



For Norris, they also offer a chance to reset his narrative.



Cleaner launches, bolder passes, and a maiden 2025 win would silence the ‘Blando’ barbs.



If the start-line stumbles persist, however, the title momentum may remain firmly in Piastri’s grasp.
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