Damon Hill fires Lando Norris four-word question after McLaren driver’s Canadian Grand Prix qualifying shocker

Damon Hill was left in dismay after McLaren driver Lando Norris could only qualify in seventh for the 2025 F1 Canadian Grand Prix, as George Russell earned pole position.

Norris entered qualifying as a candidate for pole at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve after the 25-year-old set the pace in the final practice session. But the McLaren racer could not carry the pace he presented in practice or the early phases of qualifying when it then mattered in Q3.

The Briton only managed to record a 1:11.625 in the pole position shootout on Saturday, as Mercedes star Russell scored P1 on the grid with a 1:10.899. Red Bull racer Max Verstappen will start from second on the grid after pipping McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in P3 by only 0.061s.

Damon Hill asks Lando Norris ‘What are you doing?’ after blowing qualifying in Canada

Piastri entirely flipped the script on Norris in Q3, having been slower than his British partner in every practice and qualifying session at the Canadian GP before the top-10 shootout. The 2025 F1 drivers’ championship leader was only P14 in FP1, P6 in FP2 and P8 in FP3, as well.

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

It appeared that Norris was showing Piastri the way after opting to take McLaren’s upgraded front suspension geometry in Montreal. But he could not remain McLaren’s main man come Q3 as Piastri, who declined McLaren’s upgraded suspension Norris used in Canada, hit back.

Seeing Norris only manage P7 in qualifying, having also set the pace in Q1 and come second in Q2 to Russell, left Hill in sheer dismay. The 1996 F1 drivers’ champion could only question what the McLaren man was doing, as he blew a chance to put a dent in Piastri’s title hopes.

Hill said after qualifying for the Canadian GP: “Lando, Lando, Lando… What are you doing?”

To make matters worse, rival F1 teams expect McLaren will face their Achilles heel of rear tyre graining in the Canadian GP. The cooler-than-normal conditions in Montreal this week and the softer tyre compounds Pirelli has provided make it vital to manage the rear tyres.

George Russell stuns Damon Hill to score pole for the 2025 F1 Canadian Grand Prix

Norris will start Sunday’s Canadian GP with a 10-point deficit to Piastri atop the F1 drivers’ championship standings. But, rather than potentially eat into the Australian’s advantage in the Great White North, the Briton will likely now race for damaged limitations in Montreal.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height

Qualifying was not all doom and gloom for British drivers, though, as Russell stunned Hill by scoring pole position for the Canadian GP. The Mercedes star smashed Verstappen’s time to snatch P1 on the grid away from the Red Bull racer by 0.160s at the very end of the session.

Hill also posted on X after Russell scored pole for the Canadian GP: “Blimey. George!”

Russell even now has back-to-back pole positions in Canada, making it the first venue where the 27-year-old has had pole multiple times at the same track. He and Verstappen both set a 1:12.000 in Q3 but Russell scored pole for the 2024 Canadian GP as he had set the time first.