After every Formula 1 race, driver Jeroen Bleekemolen shares his observations in an exclusive column for Formule1.nl. Who or what caught his attention, what went well, and what needs to change? This time, after the Bahrain GP: about the potential world champion and the panic at both Lando Norris and Red Bull.
Someone asked me if Red Bull should already be hitting the panic button. I’ll give you that answer shortly. But for Lando Norris, it’s definitely time. I was shocked by how he spoke to the media after qualifying in Bahrain on Saturday. It was alarming to see. As if he couldn’t do anything right, as if he suddenly saw himself as a Formula 4 driver. Very strange. And of course, distressing for him.
Yes, you’re three-tenths slower once, you make a mistake, and you start in sixth while your teammate convincingly takes pole. Okay, so it didn’t work out this time. Then I think: Come on! Chest out, show that you’re in charge. You’re at the top of the World Championship, driving the best car in the field for McLaren. But instead, he was almost in tears. And I’m not judging that. But if you let yourself be knocked out of the field like this… Norris will never become world champion in this way.
Don’t get me wrong: he has, of course, previously stated that he finds it mentally challenging, that he has problems. And I won’t judge that. And it’s good that he’s making such things discussable. I also understand him: the pressure is high, it’s Formula 1 and everyone wants something from you and you have to perform. But you are still a McLaren driver, in a wonderful position.
His reaction, however, is so self-deprecating that it’s incredibly unfortunate. Hopefully, he will receive help to better cope with such setbacks. Because in the race, he does show some impressive performances. So, he is not as bad as he suddenly claims after such a qualification.
Norris, on the other hand, makes a mistake at the start, something you wouldn’t see Oscar Piastri do. He was incredibly dominant this weekend, it was extraordinary. He has been performing well all season, and at this point, I would say: Not Norris, but Piastri will be the world champion this season.
Perhaps Max Verstappen will also compete for the title. Although? Whether there is panic, I don’t know, because you could see this coming. In Bahrain, it’s hot, there’s a lot of tire wear, little grip. So, it’s going to be very difficult for Red Bull, and you could see it right away: on these types of circuits, they’re ‘simply’ the fourth team.
If there’s some newer asphalt somewhere, Red Bull will perform better. You’ll see a bit of that in Jeddah, I think. But the problems with the car are there. Max sees and acknowledges this. He’s not giving up now, he’s fully committed to helping solve these problems. But yes, if this continues for three, four more races… then Verstappen will start looking around… Because ultimately, he wants a car with which he can win.
