Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has sharply criticized Lando Norris for displaying excessive emotions and making critical mistakes at important moments, particularly during recent races. Montoya pointed to Norris’s struggles during the Canadian Grand Prix as an example, where a qualifying error and a collision with teammate Oscar Piastri severely damaged his race and championship prospects.
At the Canadian Grand Prix, Norris made a costly error in qualifying that forced him to start deep in the field. Later in the race, he collided with McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri while fighting for fourth place, ending his chances in that event. This incident increased Piastri’s lead in the championship standings, with Norris now trailing by 22 points.
Mistakes in qualifying and race conflict highlight Norris’s struggles under pressure
Montoya identified two major mistakes by Norris during the weekend: the qualifying lapse and the reckless race collision. Speaking to CasinoHawks, Montoya said Norris’s inability to perform during Q3 sessions has become a recurring issue, despite seeming to have the speed advantage over Piastri. He noted that while Norris appears calm throughout the race weekends, the pressure of qualifying causes a negative shift in his mindset.
“He just can’t put it together,”
Montoya explained about Norris in Q3.
“And it’s hard to see because he seems to have more speed than Oscar. But Oscar is just there always to collect the pieces.”
Montoya described Norris as “way too emotional” and suggested that his mental state causes him to complicate situations unnecessarily. He observed that Norris remains composed for most of the weekend but then becomes overly cautious or anxious at the final moments of qualifying, which ironically leads to mistakes.
On the collision with Piastri, Montoya analyzed Norris’s misjudgment in attempting an overtake late in the race. He said Norris incorrectly believed he could squeeze past his teammate without issue, despite the tight circumstances of the corner and limited space.
Montoya stated:
“If you’re going on a straight line and there’s grass, you might get away with putting the car on the grass. But there’s a corner there.”
He added that even if Piastri had given a bit more room, Norris would have lost control due to the corner’s layout and his aggressive move.
He further criticized the move as “unnecessarily impatient,” emphasizing that Norris had already done the hard work catching up to Piastri and ideally should have pressured his teammate into an error rather than risking a collision himself.
Debate over the sufficiency of Lando Norris’s penalty after Montreal incident
After the crash with Piastri, stewards handed Norris a five-second penalty, a sanction that did not affect his final race classification as he finished 18th. This penalty raised questions about whether Norris should have also received penalty points on his racing license or a grid drop for the following Austrian Grand Prix, especially given the severity of the incident.
While the decision to assign penalty points lies with the stewards’ discretion, the justification given was that Norris’s mistake did not influence another driver’s final race position significantly. However, Montoya strongly disagreed with this leniency.
He called the move “really stupid” and argued Norris deserved penalty points and stricter consequences. Montoya questioned,
“Why, if you’re giving somebody a five-second penalty for reckless driving and causing an incident, did he not get at least a point on his license?”
Montoya also referenced typical responses in F1 disciplinary actions and suggested that usually, drivers who cause accidents of this nature receive points on their license. He highlighted inconsistency in penalty standards and alluded to ongoing controversies regarding how penalties are applied depending on driver background, indirectly referencing complaints from Max Verstappen.
He insisted:
“What Lando did was really stupid. He created a collision. You either penalise him or you don’t.”
—Juan Pablo Montoya, Former F1 Driver
The impact of Norris’s errors on McLaren’s title aspirations and what lies ahead
Lando Norris’s mistakes in Canada add further pressure on him during the crucial stages of the Formula 1 championship. Falling 22 points behind Oscar Piastri, who has assumed the role of McLaren’s stronger title contender, Norris must address his emotional lapses and improve his racecraft if he hopes to challenge for this season’s crown.
Norris’s recent pattern of losing composure at pivotal moments represents an obstacle for both personal success and McLaren’s team goals. As the season progresses toward the Austrian Grand Prix and beyond, Norris will need to demonstrate greater consistency and maturity in high-pressure situations.
Montoya’s pointed criticism underlines the urgency for Norris to transform his mindset during critical phases of qualifying and racing. With the championship battle tightening, every error carries amplified consequences, making Norris’s development a focal point in upcoming races for McLaren’s campaign.
