Norris Owns Up After Qualifying Crash: “I Let Myself and the Team Down”

TDT | Manama

Email: hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Lando Norris didn’t mince words after crashing out during qualifying at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver called himself an “idiot” over the team radio and doubled down on the self-criticism while speaking to reporters post-session.

“I agree with it,” said Norris, visibly frustrated after ending the session in 10th place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. “I should’ve been fighting for pole. I shunted, so I’m not going to pretend I’m proud or happy. I’ve let myself down and let the team down.”

The Brit, who currently leads the Formula One standings, admitted to taking unnecessary risks. “I don’t know what happened exactly. I’ll need to go through it, but it was just a mistake. I was feeling good until then,” he said, after crashing into the wall coming out of Turn 4.

Meanwhile, Norris’ McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri, just three points behind him in the standings, will start Sunday’s race from the front row next to polesitter Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

Norris’ crash has left McLaren with a hefty repair job ahead of race day. “It’s made life harder for everyone on the team. There’s a lot of work to do now,” he added.

Despite the setback, McLaren CEO Zak Brown remains hopeful. “It’ll likely be a one-stop race, and with the high chance of safety cars here, anything can happen,” he told Sky Sports. “We’ll focus on the race and see how far Lando can climb. He’ll definitely be quicker than where he qualified.”

McLaren lead the constructors’ standings with three wins from four races—and Sunday could offer Norris a shot at redemption.