Can Norris Defy Ralf Schumacher’s Doubts and Win 2025 Title?

May 12 – Lando Norris will fail to win the 2025 world championship if he does not urgently improve his race craft, according to a former Formula 1 driver.

Amid suggestions he lacks the mental fortitude to triumph this season, Norris made an aggressive attempt to pass pole-sitter Max Verstappen in Miami but was forced off the track – dropping him to sixth.

The McLaren driver argued that he was “forced off”, and complained that racing against his friend Verstappen was a case of “crash or don’t pass” – but Norris’ teammate and eventual winner Oscar Piastri later executed a clean pass on the quadruple world champion.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with Norris,” former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland at the time.

The German has now doubled-down on his claim, suggesting Norris is now simply being outclassed by fellow title contenders Piastri and Verstappen.

“Norris isn’t capable of it, otherwise he would do it,” Schumacher said when asked about Norris’ repeated failures to come out on top in racing situations.

“There are no excuses,” the 6-time grand prix winner added. “There are simply some drivers who have a superb eye for it – that’s Verstappen, of course, but also Piastri and I have to say also (Oliver) Bearman.

“Norris simply lacks that, and he won’t learn it either. It will stay that way,” Schumacher said. “He’s missing the basics of overtaking.

“You actually learn that in karting, so he should be able to do it,” the younger brother of F1 legend Michael Schumacher argues. “But he always seems to take too long to get to the front, and that’s a problem.

“It’s not how he can become world champion.”

Another regular critique of Norris is that he is not as strong mentally as drivers like the cool and calm Piastri, or the aggressive Verstappen.

Schumacher thinks a turning-point in the teammate hierarchy at McLaren has already occurred.

“Piastri feels clearly superior after the Miami weekend,” he said, referring to the fact that the Australian has won four of the past five races.

“He (Piastri) was even a bit unlucky with the safety car in the sprint, which is the only reason Norris won in the end. So it’s a difficult situation for Norris. And he’s not making any friends with his criticism of Verstappen, either.

“Even his own team boss Andrea Stella clearly saw that it was Norris’ mistake,” Schumacher said.

Schumacher even thinks Norris’ troubles could now accelerate in the forthcoming grands prix. “Norris knows that he has to deliver now,” said the 49-year-old. “That means he will increase his risk-taking, also because I think he is sick and tired of always being called the weak one.

“I think he’ll want to show more toughness now – but he lacks the feel of a Piastri. Piastri is also showing that he can drive tight lines and defend hard. I can imagine Norris misjudging a situation in a direct duel resulting in contact with his teammate.”

✅ Check out more posts with related topics: