Lando Norris was not happy with the McLaren garage after their controversial decision while battling Max Verstappen at the Qatar Grand Prix.
On Sunday afternoon, the penultimate race of the 2025 Formula One season got underway at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.
As the entire F1 grid lined up and waited for the lights to go out to signal the start of the race, tensions between championship leader Norris, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and reigning champion Verstappen were at an all time high.
Once the race began, things quickly went wrong for Norris as Verstappen overtook him just seconds into the race, before a dramatic turn of events saw the Dutchman take the lead in the race.
And it’s clear that Norris was not at all happy with his team for how they handled the situation as he quickly got onto the team radio to criticise their decision-making.
Piastri, Norris and Verstappen all remain in contention for the 2025 F1 title. (Image: Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
On just the seventh lap of the Qatar Grand Prix, Nico Hulkenberg crashed out of the race following a collision with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, causing a safety car.
Following the crash, all but two of the cars still inn the race quickly came into the pit lane to change their tyres as the first of two mandatory stops for the race in Qatar.
Surprisingly, it was race leader Piastri and teammate Norris that decided not to come into the pits, essentially handing Verstappen the advantage for the remainder of the race.
And Norris was clearly not happy with the decision
“We should have just followed him (Max) in, no?” Norris asked McLaren on the team radio following the decision.
He added: “Should’ve went in if car infront was staying out.”
Reacting to Norris questions, McLaren replied: “He has now lost all flexibility for the race.”
Hulkenberg’s crash on lap 7 caused huge drama during the Qatar GP. (Image: Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP via Getty Images)
However, the British driver was later proved to be right, as McLaren’s decision not to pit their drivers alongside the rest of the grid cost them what would have likely been two podium finishes.
Instead, Verstappen took home the win in Qatar ahead of Piastri and William’s driver Carlos Sainz, with Norris down in fourth.
This means that heading into the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi Verstappen is now second in the Drivers’ standings and just 12 points behind Norris.
Meanwhile Piastri is 16 points behind his McLaren teammate.
