When pressure builds, Lando Norris is his own worst enemy

A Lando DNF

Lando Norris’s championship hopes took a knock at the Canadian Grand Prix after a late-race collision with teammate Oscar Piastri. The Brit was quick to accept responsibility, showing maturity — but also underscoring a familiar pattern: when pressure builds, Norris can sometimes be his own worst enemy. With Piastri continuing to deliver consistent, top-tier performances, Norris might be watching another shot at the title slip away.

McLaren rivalry

The season-long McLaren rivalry reached a boiling point as Oscar Piastri edged out Lando Norris with a gritty fourth-place finish. The young Aussie bagged 12 crucial points, strengthening his grip on the top spot in the Drivers' standings and proving he’s the top contender this season.

Feeling guilty

"McLaren is my family. I race for them every single weekend. I try to do well for them, more than I often try to do well for myself," shared Lando after the race with local media. "So when I let them down like this, and when I make a fool of myself in a moment like today, yeah I have a lot of regret for something like that," he added.

Threats on all sides

This collision cost both Norris and other drivers dearly as a safety car was deployed for the final four laps of the race, a stale ending to such a thrilling race. Nevertheless, Norris must also keep his eyes on his rearview mirrors as Max Verstappen is flying in hot.

Point deficits

A 22 point deficit with Piastri and a 16 point deficit with Verstappen, puts Norris in a very challenging spot going forward — no more mistakes, no more rash decisions, but above all no more crashing into teammates.

General support

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella categorized the incident as a "misjudgment," as both the Italian and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown have maintained the pair at bay in the past, reports RacingNews365.

"Not proud"

"I'm not proud of that, and I feel bad when I feel like I let my team down. And for me, that's always the worst feeling. So of course, I really need to apologise to all of them, and Oscar as well," Norris told local media after the race.

Teammate drama

The F1 is no stranger to teammate drama and even collisions. Many F1 fans will recall the Hamilton-Rosberg era during the 2014-2016 racing seasons. The pressure and tensions between the two was palpable throughout the paddock following their major collision at the Belgian GP in 2014.