Never mind Lando Norris putting a wheel on the dirt in the Sprint, it was the McLaren driver’s lack of immediate action against George Russell at the Chinese GP that has Giedo van der Garde questioning his World Champion credentials.

Norris made history, or at least a quiz question, on March 16th when he became the first driver not called Max Verstappen to lead the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings in more than 1,000 days.

Can Lando Norris win the F1 2025 title?

The McLaren driver clinched the victory in a tricky wet Australian Grand Prix to boot Verstappen out of P1 and was tipped to run away with it.

However, a mistake on the opening lap of the Sprint in Shanghai, where he put wheels in the dirt and lost positions, meant Norris only scored a single point in his very next outing.

And yet it was his “nothing happened” moment with Russell in the Grand Prix that has van der Garde questioning whether he has what it takes to win a World title.

More analysis from the Chinese Grand Prix:

👉 Chinese GP driver ratings: Perfect Piastri and a humbled Hamilton

👉 Chinese Grand Prix conclusions: Lawson out of time? Verstappen’s exit clause, Hamilton DSQ

Although Norris got the jump on the Mercedes driver on the opening lap, sneaking through when Russell opened the door as he tried to attack Oscar Piastri for the lead, he found himself trailing Russell – although briefly – after the pit stops.

Russell was the first of the two to stop, and the undercut eradicated Norris’ on-track advantage to the point that when Norris pitted, they came out side-by-side.

Russell seized the advantage, Norris, according to van der Garde, slept through it.

He did retake the position from the Mercedes driver and went on to finish runner-up to Piastri with Verstappen P4, but the former F1 driver fears that moment with Russell was a sign that Norris is not World Champion material.

“Russell went in just a little earlier,” Van der Garde said to Viaplay of Russell’s undercut and pass on Norris. “It was a nice moment, when Russell immediately passed Norris on the outside. I thought that was a super action.

“Norris was really asleep there, by the way.

“You know it’s going to be a fight, so you have to make yourself wide and push him out. Nothing happened.

“Norris came back well, when his tyres were up to temperature, but that first action should never have happened. Russell passed Norris on the outside. Russell drove a good race.

“That’s how you never become World Champion.”

He added: “If you keep driving like this, and let things like this happen, you won’t take that title. You have to use every millimetre in a fight. Norris is still a bit anxious.”

And according to the Dutchman, it wasn’t the first sign this season that Norris isn’t yet ready to fight for the World title.

Although he won the Australian Grand Prix, he made a huge mistake at Turn 6 on the penultimate lap as he ran wide, which allowed Verstappen to get within striking distance.

“We can also remember that Norris got all nervous in the last laps [in Australia], because he had Max behind him,” van der Garde said. “Come on, man! You know you have a good car and that you are good. Just go for it and make sure you’re there.”

Red Bull noted it too, team principal Christian Horner saying on the day: “I think Lando looked like he tightened a little bit at the end of the race.

“He made a mistake at Turn 6, went half off the track and that gave Max a little bit of a run at a track that’s very difficult to overtake, and then, the next lap, he got another run.”

Just eight points separate Norris and Verstappen in the Drivers’ standings, that’s despite McLaren’s clear pace advantage.

Read next: Has Bernie Collins found the reason for Liam Lawson’s Red Bull struggles?