Lando Norris admitted he was an “idiot” for his qualifying crash at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He felt he let the McLaren team down and acknowledges he needs some good fortune to achieve a top-five finish in the race.
Norris`s hopes for a strong recovery after a tough weekend in Bahrain were damaged on Saturday in Jeddah. He lost control of his car and crashed into the barriers on his first flying lap in Q3.
This accident places Norris in 10th position on the starting grid at a street circuit known for its difficulty in overtaking.
Following the crash, a frustrated Norris used strong language over the team radio, calling himself an “idiot.” He later confirmed to reporters that this self-assessment was accurate when he returned to the paddock.
“It`s understandable,” Norris said, reflecting on his self-criticism. “I should be competing for pole position, and making such errors, especially on a Q3 lap, is unacceptable. I will review what happened.”
He added, “I agree with my self-description. I messed up. I`m going to analyze everything to understand why I took unnecessary risks.”
Norris, who was fastest in Q2, expressed his disappointment. “I was performing well and feeling confident up to that point.”
“But it is what it is; I crashed. I`m not proud or happy about it. I`ve disappointed myself and the team, and the mechanics now have a significant repair job ahead of them.”
“So, that`s the situation. Despite agreeing with my harsh words, I`m still looking forward to tomorrow and will try to compensate for today`s mistake.”
However, Norris tempered expectations for the race, suggesting that even a top-five finish from his starting position would be challenging on the Jeddah circuit.
“I need to speak with my engineers, apologize, and discuss our strategy for Sunday,” he stated.
“We`ll try to create a solid plan, but we will need some luck. Overtaking here is incredibly difficult, almost impossible, so I`m not expecting miracles, but we do have a good car.”
“If we can climb to the top five or six, I would consider that a good result.”
He concluded, “Realistically, our car wasn`t fast enough for pole, and our pace isn`t significantly better than Max Verstappen`s, or even George Russell`s. Aiming for the top five is probably a realistic goal.”
Norris currently leads the championship by a narrow margin. His teammate Oscar Piastri is just three points behind, and Max Verstappen is eight points back.
Piastri could take the championship lead for the first time if he wins the race, regardless of Norris`s result. Verstappen could also lead for the first time in 2025 if he wins and Norris finishes third or lower.
