"Certain things don't allow me to feel" what Norris wants to feel

On the back of an up-and-down start to the 2025 F1 season, McLaren driver Lando Norris has acknowledged that his team-mate Oscar Piastri is "maybe more naturally able to adapt" to the Woking-based squad's 2025 F1 car, the MCL39.

McLaren locked out the front row for last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri having headed his team-mate Lando Norris in qualifying. The papaya team had been expected to displayed an even more dominant performance in a race given the high ambient and track temperatures.

Although the first stint indicated that the 66-lap Barcelona round would be a a straightforward race for McLaren, Red Bull put Max Verstappen on a three-stop strategy. With the Dutchman having displayed eye-catching pace through his second stint, McLaren were forced to ask their drivers to pick up the pace in order to cover Verstappen.

While Piastri built up a healthy gap, Norris had to work a little harder in the early stages as he fell behind Verstappen at the start. However, once he made his way past the reigning champion, he looked to control the gap even when Verstappen closed up in the late pit stops.

When the late Safety Car came out, Piastri and Norris had to defend at the restart, but they were able to escape from their rivals, with Piastri winning the Spanish Grand Prix from his team-mate Norris.

Norris finds himself ten points adrift of his team-mate Piastri. Asked whether this year's McLaren is better suited to the Australian's driving style, Norris has acknowledged that certain things don't "allow him to feel what" he needs to feel.

"It's a difficult one to answer. Yeah, it's very difficult to answer. I think there are just certain things which don't allow me to feel what I need to feel and those things are what allow me to drive to the level that I can drive at—to get pole positions and to drive at the highest level in racing.

"We're talking about small things. It's not like it's impossible to drive all of a sudden. It's just when we're talking about qualifying split by hundredths of a second, thousandths of a second, that's what I'm complaining of and nothing more than that.

"Yeah, it's not one I can probably just give you a yes or no answer to," Norris continued. "I think he's maybe more naturally able to adapt. And I also think it's a driver’s job to adapt to whatever car they get given, but there are compromises, and the team are also there to try and help you get the most out of the car.

"But it's clear there have been some changes and whether it's just suited Oscar or Oscar’s way, or him doing a better job at adapting, that's not for me to kind of know or try and figure out or waste my time on. But yeah, for me, it's also hurt me a little bit more and I've not been able to perform at the level that I was at the end of last season, which I think is the best level that I've been.

"There are some circuits I felt better and some circuits I’ve liked the feeling a lot. But not enough of an indication for me to kind of prepare—probably what I needed to prepare for.