Lando Norris angrily calls out McLaren in a strong radio message after a hectic British GP Sprint.
After an exciting start where Lando Norris quickly moved up to a podium spot, the British driver wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts on team radio as McLaren’s strategy came under pressure.
This season hasn’t been easy for McLaren and Norris, who are the reigning Formula 1 champions. Ferrari and Mercedes have been ahead with the new car rules, leaving McLaren a bit behind. But racing at home brings hope that McLaren can push aside any distractions and fight for top finishes, especially with Norris going head-to-head with Lewis Hamilton again.
Starting in 6th place, Norris needed a big move to get the home fans cheering during the British Grand Prix Sprint – and he didn’t disappoint. He pulled off an impressive first-lap overtake, jumping up five spots to 2nd place.
Though he slipped back to third as Hamilton and Antonelli pulled ahead by eight seconds, Norris fought hard to keep his spot, closely challenged by George Russell, a fellow regular at Silverstone.
In the last laps, Norris stayed right behind by Russell while the Sky F1 broadcast mentioned McLaren’s car seemed to be running low on fuel. Norris managed to hold on to third behind Antonelli and Hamilton, but his post-race radio showed he wasn’t happy with how things went.
Because of the fuel issue, Norris had to ease off the throttle—tough on these long straights where the car needs full power. This meant he couldn’t chase down the leaders, and you could hear his frustration clearly. After crossing the finish line, he said, “Yeah, well done, good job. Just f*** me guys, let’s get it right for once, please.”
His lead race engineer, Will Joseph, answered, “Good day, we’ll get it right tomorrow.”
Later, talking with David Coulthard at the presentation, Norris was more positive about his result. He said he was “very happy” with how he finished but admitted there’s still plenty to improve.
“That was a very good race. I’m very, very happy. Good start, good first lap. Not quite the pace to match these guys [Antonelli and Hamilton], but I had a good battle with George and others behind me. Pleasantly surprised, but it’s just the Sprint—we have to do it all again.”
He didn’t go into detail about McLaren’s strategy but mentioned he gave his all to keep Russell behind.
“There are a few small things we can do better. It was a good race. Good points. I gave everything I could. George was catching me pretty fast at the end.”
Lando Norris and McLaren will be back out for Qualifying later on Saturday, and he’ll be aiming to get back on the podium for the British GP in front of a packed home crowd.