Gary Anderson noticed one 2024 mistake from Lando Norris at the Bahrain Grand Prix that needs ‘refining’

Lando Norris endured a difficult weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He could not match his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who dominated at the Sakhir International Circuit.

The Aussie grabbed his second career pole position while Norris could only manage sixth, lining up behind Piastri, Charles Leclerc, the two Mercedes and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly.

Norris showed a commendable attitude after qualifying as, like Lewis Hamilton, he did not make excuses for his performance. The Brit looked to right the wrongs of Saturday at the Bahrain Grand Prix as he climbed to third after turn four at the start.

However, the 24-year-old was handed a five-second penalty for starting beyond his grid spot. Max Verstappen noticed Norris’ infringement, proving he is F1’s most switched-on driver.

The McLaren star fought back after his penalty to finish on the podium behind Piastri and George Russell. Norris leads the championship by three points heading into the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, but it is clear that improvements need to be made.

Gary Anderson noticed ‘desperation’ in Lando Norris’ racecraft at the Bahrain Grand Prix

During his battle with the Ferraris and Russell, Norris was seen to lock up in front brakes consistently and run wide – it arguably cost him second place.

For ex-F1 mechanic Gary Anderson, it was a sign of ‘desperation’ from the McLaren driver’s racecraft. Writing in a column for The Telegraph, he states that the Brit’s errors need ‘refining’ if he is to mount a challenge for the title.

“After that penalty he was battling to make his way through the field and catch Piastri. Again, it is clear that his racecraft needs refining,” said Anderson.

“We saw that when he was battling Max Verstappen at the end of last season. We saw it again at various points in the race when trying to overtake the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the Mercedes.

“There is one thing that seems to characterise his approach in all three incidents: desperation. Of course, overtaking in these cars is not easy by any means. The braking zones are so small these days and the cars so large that the margins for error are tiny. Yet desperation seems to set in too often for Norris.

“Unlike other drivers, Norris does not seem to build up to these overtakes and struggles to set up the other drivers. He too often fails to look for the weak point of the car ahead and does not make sure he is in the right position at the right time.

“Everything seems to happen suddenly, and then he is often left to pick up the pieces after a locked tyre or running wide.”

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

Lando Norris’ desperation in 2024 cost him the title to Max Verstappen

As Anderson pointed out, this was a weakness in Norris’ racecraft last season. It ultimately cost him a shot at the title as Verstappen grabbed his fourth consecutive championship.

The Brit came to blows with his rival several times across 2024, most notably in Austria when he was forced to retire and in Austin and Mexico. Norris made multiple costly errors that left him 63 points behind Verstappen come the end of the season.

The 24-year-old cannot afford to have this issue persist in 2025, especially now that he has the strongest car in the field. He is facing pressure from teammate Piastri, who is starting to breathe down his neck for the top spot.

McLaren have made the MCL39 difficult to drive for Norris, but his racecraft does need fine-tuning. Piastri’s dominance in Bahrain should stand as a huge warning for the Brit.