Former Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve commented on Lando Norris`s qualifying performance at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, suggesting the British driver is putting himself under excessive pressure. This follows teammate Oscar Piastri once again outqualifying Norris at Imola.
Despite McLaren showing strong pace throughout practice sessions, with the pair topping the timesheets, Norris could only secure fourth place in qualifying. He failed to improve on his final attempt, while Piastri went on to claim pole position.
Since his victory and pole position in the season-opening race in Australia, Piastri has outqualified Norris in four of the subsequent six events. Piastri currently holds a 16-point lead over Norris in the Drivers` Championship standings heading into the Imola race.
Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 champion, observed that while Norris consistently shows pace, often having a slight edge over Piastri, he seems to falter when it matters most – in the crucial qualifying laps. “When it`s money time, he collapses,” Villeneuve stated. “It`s as if he puts himself under too much pressure and it doesn`t work out. He loses his natural flow… you start making mistakes.”
Piastri`s improved qualifying performance marks a significant shift compared to the previous season, where Norris held a clear advantage in their head-to-head qualifying record (21-3).
Villeneuve reiterated his point, saying, “Last year, Lando was the qualifier of the team, and now Lando collapses every time there`s a little bit of pressure, and Piastri seems to make a step… now he`s gotten beaten a few times and it`s starting to affect him.”
Norris himself has recently mentioned that he finds extracting maximum one-lap performance from this year`s McLaren car challenging due to its characteristics. At Imola, he was initially third after the first Q3 runs but was eventually pushed down to fourth by George Russell.
Reflecting on his performance, Norris admitted, “I guess I probably just wasn`t quick enough. None of my performances in Q3 have been strong enough this year, so same thing.”
Three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick also weighed in, questioning if Norris is overthinking his struggles in the final qualifying session. Chadwick believes Norris possesses the speed but specifically falters in Q3. “I really hope he`s not got a complex about that in particular,” she said, noting the significant time deficit (three tenths) to Piastri in Q3 at Imola is particularly costly.
Piastri`s consistent high-level performance, including his calm approach, has highlighted Norris`s difficulties. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised Piastri`s composure during his pole lap when encountering traffic. “Oscar, once again, he proved how cool he is – really a cold head,” Stella commented, calling it a “confirmation of the talent that we know we have in hand.”
Regarding Norris, Stella noted that his performance loss was spread across a few corners and suggested Lando is still working on finding the “perfect feeling” with the MCL39 for that final qualifying tenth. However, Stella expressed confidence in both drivers` strong race pace for Sunday.
