‘They don’t care’: Lando Norris warned about McLaren

Throughout 2024 Lando Norris was the face of McLaren’s renaissance, yet in 2025 the balance has shifted toward Oscar Piastri—and Damon Hill believes the team’s loyalty will follow raw results, not sentimentality.



The 1996 World Champion cautioned Norris that a Formula 1 outfit “doesn’t belong” to any driver, urging him to sharpen his racecraft or risk watching Piastri walk away with the crown.



A Swing in Momentum



Norris began the season 23 points clear of his team-mate, but four wins in five races have put Piastri 16 points ahead, a 39-point swing that Hill says should ring alarm bells. McLaren publicly maintains equal status for both drivers, yet history shows titles reshape internal dynamics quickly.







Hill’s Stark Assessment



“It’s not a home for racing drivers,” Hill said.



“The team belongs to the team, and the drivers are passing through. They don’t care.”



He argued that McLaren will “find a winner between the two of them” and reward whoever delivers under pressure, regardless of tenure.



The Turn 2 Tangle With Verstappen



Hill’s remarks followed Norris’s bruising Miami Grand Prix, ruined when Max Verstappen’s snap of oversteer squeezed him wide at Turn 2. In recovery Norris exceeded track limits during an overtake, compounding his frustration. Piastri, meanwhile, made decisive moves and finished ahead.



A Penny Yet to Drop



Hill senses Norris still wrestles with the ruthlessness required in wheel-to-wheel duels. “When you think back to Austria last year, he put himself in vulnerable positions and came off worse,” Hill noted. “It’s about being clinical … Max isn’t going to give it to you.”



Norris Fires Back



Post-race, Norris vented: “If I don’t go for it, people complain. If I go for it, people complain. So, you can’t win.” He labelled Verstappen’s tactics “crash or don’t pass,” arguing the Dutchman “ruined his own race” and cost both drivers a potential one-two finish.



McLaren’s Internal Calculus



Zak Brown and Andrea Stella have championed transparency, but parity only lasts while points remain tight. With Red Bull stumbling and Ferrari inconsistent, McLaren’s fastest driver could soon receive subtle preferential calls to secure the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.



Lessons From 2024



Last season Norris chased Verstappen for the title while Piastri played rear-gunner. Now the roles are reversed—and Hill says any lingering “nice guy” approach must give way to targeted aggression if Norris wants revenge.



Piastri’s Evolution



Piastri entered F1 in 2023 as a raw rookie; by mid-2025 he exudes the calm of a seasoned contender.




James Vowles takes responsibility for Carlos #Sainz fallout https://t.co/RTVD3XsDAW — Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) May 11, 2025




Verstappen has publicly praised the Australian’s racecraft, a compliment Hill believes adds psychological strain on Norris.



Psychological Warfare



Norris faces a two-front battle: mastering on-track duels and managing the mental weight of being out-performed within his own garage. Hill warned that failing to adapt could see Piastri cement No. 1 status before summer’s end.



Fightback Blueprint



For Norris, the path forward is clear—cut mistakes in qualifying, hold nerve in combat, and convert McLaren’s pace into relentless podiums. Do that, and internal favour will tilt back his way. Fail, and Hill’s prophecy of a team indifferent to driver seniority will come true.
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