Ralf Schumacher Warns Lando Norris of Number 2 Driver Fate at McLaren

Ralf Schumacher made it clear that Lando Norris could soon play second fiddle to Oscar Piastri for the 2025 world championship.

Ralf Schumacher Warns Lando Norris of Number 2 Driver Fate at McLaren

Ralf Schumacher and Lando Norris (images via IMAGO)

Lando Norris has had a surprising downfall in 2025. The British driver had emerged as the favorite to win the title this season after a failed title fight against Max Verstappen. McLaren delivered arguably the quickest car on the grid this year. Yet, Norris has failed to capitalize. Rather, the 25-year-old has been outperformed by his teammate Oscar Piastri. So much so, that Ralf Schumacher reckons that he could soon be forced to play second fiddle to Piastri.

Since the start of the season, Lando Norris has grabbed a single race victory. On the other hand, Oscar Piastri had dominated the grid, with four wins in the first six races. This has completely tilted the balance in the Australian driver’s favor, who now leads the championship. While Norris seems to be in more of a threat of losing second place in the standings to Max Verstappen.

Ralf Schumacher pointed out that Lando Norris was running out of time. The British driver will need to find a way to bounce back against Piastri sometime before the summer break. Schumacher highlighted that sooner or later, McLaren might need to make a call on supporting one driver for the championship. If Norris’ struggles continue, it is likely that he would be the one who will be handed a ‘number 2 status’ for the remainder of the season.

For Lando, it’s going to be tough, especially if this continues until the summer break. Then at some point, the team will have to make a decision. I’m quite sure of that, because you don’t want to miss the chance at the drivers’ title this year.

Ralf Schumacher said on Backstage Boxengasse podcast

Ultimately, such a decision would allow McLaren to put full weight behind Oscar Piastri, who currently is most likely to win the world title against Max Verstappen. While this could further have an impact on Norris’ confidence.

Lando Norris might be cracking under pressure

Lando Norris is one of the most open drivers in Formula 1. The British driver is not afraid of accepting his struggles and often appears to be self critical. Norris is not hesitant on talking about issues which other drivers usually do not say to the media. Though, this is often seen as a vulnerability of the 24-year-old.

Lando Norris (via RacingNews365)
Lando Norris (via RacingNews365)

Many pundits like Ralf Schumacher have criticized Lando Norris’ nature in the past. The German now said that Norris needs to first learn how to deal with himself and get more relaxed during the current situation. Schumacher reckoned that the McLaren star was dealing with a lot of pressure, which is not unusual for F1 drivers. Drivers are always trying to prove themselves to be the fastest, particularly when their teammate is doing well. However, this leads to situations where one goes too far with the car.

The question is mainly when Lando finally becomes a bit more relaxed and learns to deal with himself, I think he’s under huge pressure. That actually applies to all drivers. They always want to prove that they are the fastest. This sometimes leads them to go just a bit too far with the car.

Ralf Schumacher explained

Certainly, Lando Norris is far from happy with his current performances. The Briton wants to claim his maiden world title this season. However, things have not gone as planned for the 25-year-old. There is still ample time in the 2025 season for Norris to bounce back against Oscar Piastri. Though, he must start improving from the next race in Imola to show his team that he can still defeat his teammate.

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