{"id":34975,"date":"2025-05-11T16:55:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T15:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/formula1news.co.uk\/?p=34975"},"modified":"2025-05-11T16:55:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T15:55:59","slug":"they-dont-care-lando-norris-warned-about-mclaren","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formula1news.co.uk\/they-dont-care-lando-norris-warned-about-mclaren\/","title":{"rendered":"‘They don’t care’: Lando Norris warned about McLaren"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Throughout 2024 Lando Norris was the face of McLaren\u2019s renaissance, yet in 2025 the balance has shifted toward Oscar Piastri\u2014and Damon Hill believes the team\u2019s loyalty will follow raw results, not sentimentality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1996 World Champion cautioned Norris that a Formula 1 outfit \u201cdoesn\u2019t belong\u201d to any driver, urging him to sharpen his racecraft or risk watching Piastri walk away with the crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Swing in Momentum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Norris began the season 23 points clear of his team-mate, but four wins in five races have put Piastri 16 points ahead, a 39-point swing that Hill says should ring alarm bells. McLaren publicly maintains equal status for both drivers, yet history shows titles reshape internal dynamics quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hill\u2019s Stark Assessment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a home for racing drivers,\u201d Hill said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe team belongs to the team, and the drivers are passing through. They don\u2019t care.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He argued that McLaren will \u201cfind a winner between the two of them\u201d and reward whoever delivers under pressure, regardless of tenure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Turn 2 Tangle With Verstappen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hill\u2019s remarks followed Norris\u2019s bruising Miami Grand Prix, ruined when Max Verstappen\u2019s snap of oversteer squeezed him wide at Turn 2. In recovery Norris exceeded track limits during an overtake, compounding his frustration. Piastri, meanwhile, made decisive moves and finished ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Penny Yet to Drop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hill senses Norris still wrestles with the ruthlessness required in wheel-to-wheel duels. \u201cWhen you think back to Austria last year, he put himself in vulnerable positions and came off worse,\u201d Hill noted. \u201cIt\u2019s about being clinical \u2026 Max isn\u2019t going to give it to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norris Fires Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Post-race, Norris vented: \u201cIf I don\u2019t go for it, people complain. If I go for it, people complain. So, you can\u2019t win.\u201d He labelled Verstappen\u2019s tactics \u201ccrash or don\u2019t pass,\u201d arguing the Dutchman \u201cruined his own race\u201d and cost both drivers a potential one-two finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McLaren\u2019s Internal Calculus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Zak Brown and Andrea Stella have championed transparency, but parity only lasts while points remain tight. With Red Bull stumbling and Ferrari inconsistent, McLaren\u2019s fastest driver could soon receive subtle preferential calls to secure the Constructors\u2019 and Drivers\u2019 Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lessons From 2024<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Last season Norris chased Verstappen for the title while Piastri played rear-gunner. Now the roles are reversed\u2014and Hill says any lingering \u201cnice guy\u201d approach must give way to targeted aggression if Norris wants revenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piastri\u2019s Evolution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Piastri entered F1 in 2023 as a raw rookie; by mid-2025 he exudes the calm of a seasoned contender. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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James Vowles takes responsibility for Carlos #Sainz<\/a> fallout https:\/\/t.co\/RTVD3XsDAW<\/a><\/p>— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) May 11, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>