Lando Norris handed damning verdict on costly F1 mistakes

Lando Norris has made two high-profile errors in qualifying in as many weekends, just five rounds into the F1 season. Together, those mistakes have heavily contributed to the McLaren driver losing control of the drivers' championship to Oscar Piastri - and with it, all important momentum. Whilst his team-mate has been the mark of consistency this year, the Briton's performance has not been, especially in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Peculiarly, the pair of recent and costly moments have both fallen during qualifying, a session that was undeniably where Norris excelled last season. Taking eight pole positions across the campaign underscored the 25-year-old's ability to put a lap together, but that skill has seemingly deserted him across the final two legs of the triple header. His poor grid-setting effort at the Bahrain International Circuit left him starting seventh, essentially ruling out any opportunity for the win, before his Q3 crash at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit resulted in the same outcome, albeit from further back. It has helped produce a 23-point swing to Piastri in just two rounds. In a recent poll conducted by RacingNews365 , almost two-thirds of respondents argued his current tendency for mistakes will make it impossible for him to win the F1 drivers' championship this term. The verdict is clear, the five-time grand prix winner cannot go on this way. If he is to clinch the crown come Abu Dhabi, something has to change.