Lando Norris Blames Qatar GP Pitstop “Gamble” After Disappointing Loss to Max Verstappen

Lando Norris highlighted that McLaren's gamble to not pit under the safety car caused them the race win against Max Verstappen at the Qatar GP.

Lando Norris Blames Qatar GP Pitstop “Gamble” After Disappointing Loss to Max Verstappen

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

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McLaren ruined the entire Qatar GP after seemingly dominating the beginning of the weekend. Oscar Piastri was on par to achieve a stellar race win, and Lando Norris was good enough for a podium finish.

However, the team took a massive gamble by not pitting under the safety car in the early stages of the race, which ultimately cost them the race win. Now, Norris blames the chaotic strategy call that caused Woking to walk out of the weekend as massive losers.

Lando Norris started the race from the front row and not the pole position after suffering from some understeer during his final Qualifying lap. However, Norris was confident of his chances to succeed after starting from P2. But McLaren’s interesting decision not to pit under the safety car probably caused their entire weekend to turn out for the worse.

Now, Lando Norris recalled the entire incident and how McLaren’s decision not to pit under the safety car was a massive gamble. The team was sure of their decision, but surprisingly, everyone pitted behind them and ruined their strategy. Norris reckoned that the situation was indeed tough, and he relied on the team to make the right decision.

Lando Norris accepted that it was McLaren that took the gamble and ruined their own races. Norris lost a potential podium finish, and Oscar Piastri lost a chance at the race win in Qatar. Ultimately, the 26-year-old exclaimed that today wasn’t the best day for the Papaya Squad, but it was life at the end of the day, and such things happened.

It’s tough. We just have to have faith in the team making the right decision. It was us that took a gamble in a way. And we lost it, Oscar lost the win and I lost P2. Not our finest day, but that is life.

Lando Norris said in a post-race interview.

Lando Norris hopes to do a ‘better job’ at the season finale in Abu Dhabi

The driver’s title will be all to play for between the top three drivers at the Abu Dhabi GP. Following a P4 finish in Qatar, Lando Norris now needs just a podium finish in the upcoming race to be hailed as the championship winner. Though it seems easy in theory, anything can happen on race day, like today, and ruin his winning chances.

Lando Norris (via Mark Sutton/Getty Images)
Lando Norris (via Mark Sutton/Getty Images)

Lando Norris accepted that the team couldn’t get everything right today. Though he expects to do a much better job at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Norris hopes to just do his job and believes that he will be fine at the end of the day. Further, the Briton claimed that Red Bull was the team that did a great job in Qatar as they made the right call and won the race.

[Red Bull] did a better job as a team, they made the right call. You can’t get them all right. We just need to do a better job, I’ll do my job and we’ll be fine.

Lando Norris noted.

The 2025 season has been extremely exciting up until this point. Now, with just one race to go until completion, it is definitely going to be even more cutthroat and nail-biting. The championship winner hasn’t been decided yet, and nobody is the clear favorite to win the title.

Read More: Max Verstappen Credits McLaren’s “Interesting Move” for Qatar GP Win