Former Formula 1 driver and current Sky Sports F1 presenter Martin Brundle has defended Lando Norris’ harsh self-critique following qualifying in Bahrain.
The McLaren driver will line up from sixth on the grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix after a disappointing qualifying session under the lights of the Bahrain International Circuit yesterday, whereas his team-mate Oscar Piastri will start from pole. While speaking to the media following the session, Norris was noticeably downbeat. He explained:
“I didn’t even go a tenth quicker,” he lamented. “I’m just not quick enough.”
When asked where he was not fast enough, he continued:
“Honestly, no idea. No idea, just not quick enough. It’s just another day. [We will] look into things, see why I was struggling so much today and try again tomorrow.”
Norris’ sometimes strong self-critique has come under the scrutiny of fans and from within the F1 paddock. However, Brundle has defended the 25-year-old, claiming that “we are all different” in our approach to dealing with disappointment. Speaking on the Sky Sports broadcast ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the former driver argued:
“You have to remember that when we all get disappointed in things that happen in our lives, we haven’t got a camera and millions of people watching us right at that moment.
Martin Brundle
Photo by: Getty Images
“But how Lando manages it down, he sort of beats himself up when his disappointment juices are flowing, and that’s how he works it. We’re all different.
“I think he tries to manage down the pressure like that as well, so that maybe he doesn’t get as much stick, because he’s saying he’s rubbish.
“But to use words like clueless, he’s leading the world championship for goodness’ sake, so he’s clearly not clueless. He’s one of the best in the world right now.”
However, Brundle did also point out an issue with Norris’ approach, stating:
“The problem with that strategy is it feeds your rivals. Piastri, Leclerc and Verstappen must look at that and think, ‘wow, there’s a soft underbelly there somewhere that we can get into’.”
Bouncing back from his difficulties yesterday, Norris confirmed ahead of the race that he was “feeling optimistic.”
“I just went to bed and woke up again! I feel a bit better,” Norris said.
“I’m optimistic. The car has been great all weekend. I’ve been a bit off it but I’m still optimistic I can get back into the rhythm.
“I’m excited and I hope to put on a bit of a show today. It’s a long race, a lot of degradation, but our pace on Friday was strong.
“I just have to do some overtaking! Strategy, Safety Cars could come into play so hopefully that goes our way.”
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