Lando Norris given brutal new nickname as F1 critics pile on British star

Lando Norris

Lando Norris given BRUTAL new nickname as F1 critics pile on British star

It's been a difficult few races for the highly-touted McLaren superstar

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Saturday 10 May 2025 11:57 Updated: 15:09

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These are difficult times for Lando Norris as the British F1 superstar struggles with the weight of all those world title expectations.

The 25-year-old was expected to lead the papaya charge for glory in 2025 with a rocket ship of a car primed to power him to race victories.

So far things have not played out like that though, with his team-mate Oscar Piastri tearing up the script to lead the 2025 Drivers’ Championship standings.

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The ice-cool Aussie Piastri has won three races in a row in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Miami to take control of the title race, and the McLaren garage.

Norris meanwhile has been frustrated by his own performance, along with many paddock experts.

The latest ‘misery’ for Lando came in Florida last weekend when another bad start saw him drop from second to sixth after an early tussle with reigning world champion Max Verstappen.

Norris would come back to claim second spot on the podium, but it was another race and result which had the doubters out in force.

Italian media christen ‘Blando Norris’

The post-race inquest also saw Norris given a new nickname on the back of his underwhelming starts this season. Meet ‘Blando Norris’, absolutely brutal.

The new moniker was handed out by Sky Sports Italy analyst Leo Turrini in his post-race report card.

His overall grade of 8 for Norris was not too bad, but it came with a withering comment as he wrote: “As usual…Blando at the start.”

Ralf Schumacher roasts Norris

Turrini was not the only pundit underwhelmed by that Lando start in South Florida last Sunday. Former F1 star Ralf Schumacher was also exasperated by what he saw.

Schumacher, speaking on Sky Sports Germany’s F1 podcast, said: "Norris isn't capable of it, otherwise he would do better.

“He's been around long enough; there are no excuses for something like that. There are simply some drivers who have a superb eye for it. That's Verstappen, for example, as are Piastri and Bearman.

“Norris simply lacks that, and he won't learn it. It will stay that way. Accordingly, he tried it at the start. It was a defiant reaction, but he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

While Norris still only trails Piastri by 16 points in the title race, Schumacher believes the signs are not good for the young Brit as he chases that elusive championship.

"He's missing the basics of overtaking. You actually learn that in karts, so he should be able to do it. He also took too long to get to the front at times. That's a problem, quite honestly. And that's not how he'll become world champion."

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Max Verstappen McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri