Lando Norris Furious After Crash in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix lead to several damaged and….read more
Lando Norris was left visibly angry after crashing out during qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, a costly mistake that derailed what could have been a promising session for the McLaren driver. The British racer, who is currently among the frontrunners in the Formula 1 championship, saw his hopes for a strong starting position vanish after a crash during the final Q3 session. As he lost control through the high-speed section of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and hit the wall, a red flag was brought out, halting the session.
Norris, clearly frustrated, blamed himself over the team radio, calling the incident “idiotic” in a raw moment of self-criticism. The crash means the McLaren star will start Sunday’s race from no higher than 10th place, a far cry from the front row position he had been competing for.
This latest setback comes at a challenging time for Norris, who had already been feeling the pressure after a disappointing weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix. In that race, Norris underperformed in qualifying, which allowed his teammate Oscar Piastri to take full advantage and secure a dominant win in Sakhir. The pressure to perform and stay competitive in a tightly contested championship seems to be weighing heavily on the British driver.
Unfortunately for McLaren, Norris’s crash wasn’t the only disappointment during Saturday’s qualifying session. Despite the opportunity to capitalize on his teammate’s misfortune, Oscar Piastri couldn’t seize pole position. He was narrowly beaten by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who once again demonstrated his dominance by topping the timesheets. Piastri had shown strong pace throughout the weekend and was a real contender, but ultimately had to settle for a spot behind Verstappen on the starting grid.
Elsewhere on the grid, it was a mixed bag for other top teams. Mercedes driver George Russell managed to secure a spot on the second row, putting in a solid performance to line up alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. However, it was another difficult session for Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion struggled to find pace all weekend and couldn’t make a significant impact during qualifying, finishing only seventh and nearly a full second off Verstappen’s pole time.
Ferrari’s overall performance also fell short of expectations, despite Leclerc’s respectable result. With top teams like McLaren and Ferrari facing setbacks, Sunday’s race promises to be an unpredictable battle, especially with Norris fighting his way up from th
e midfield.
