"They don't care": Damon Hill sends ominous McLaren warning to Lando Norris

Former F1 driver, Damon Hill, has warned Lando Norris to pick up some slack. He stated that McLaren is unlikely to prioritise him over Oscar Piastri, even though Norris has been with the team longer, as teams ultimately want results, not just race wins but also championships.

Norris, who fell 63 points short of Max Verstappen in the 2024 title race, had a terrific start to the 2025 season. He won the opening race in Australia but lost grip in the championship race due to qualifying mistakes and poor wheel-to-wheel decision-making.

Meanwhile, Norris' loss has turned out to be his teammate Oscar Piastri's gain. Racing in the fastest car on the grid, MCL39, Piastri has emerged as a legitimate title contender. With four wins in the opening six races, he is seated P1 with 131 points.

Since Lando Norris is lagging behind 16 points at P2, former F1 world champion, Damon Hill, has urged the British driver to change his mindset. He opined that McLaren doesn't belong to Norris just because he has been with the team longer. If Piastri continues to deliver, he can be the Papaya team's no. 1 in the near future.

Talking to BBC‘s Chequered Flag podcast, Hill said:

“It’s not a home for racing drivers, a race team. He’s put in the graft; he’s been there earlier, before Oscar. But the team belongs to the team, and the drivers are passing through; the part they [have], they either work for the team and deliver what the team wants, or they don’t."

"You want to win, and they want a winner, and they’re going to find a winner between the two of them, and they’ll be very happy with Oscar if it’s not Lando. They don’t care. So that’s the situation. It doesn’t belong to you just because you’ve been there longer."

Norris made his F1 debut with McLaren in 2019, while Piastri joined him in 2023.

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McLaren CEO advises Lando Norris to stop pursuing perfection

Zak Brown and Lando Norris at F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Lando Norris hasn't won a single race since his victory in Australia back in March. With Oscar Piastri firmly holding a 16-point lead in the championship title, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has urged Norris to stop striving for perfection.

Talking to RacingNews365, Brown said:

"He [Norris] needs to stop striving for perfection. If you talk to any driver, they'll always say they've never done the perfect lap. Just focus on doing the best you can. For me, perfection is doing the best you can, and if you miss that apex by three inches or brake a meter too late, that's going to happen, so I think striving to do the best you can is the best approach."

Regardless, Zak Brown assured that Lando Norris will adapt to the car soon, as McLaren is bringing good innovation in the near future. Notably, the Papaya team is seated at P1 in the constructors' championship with 246 points in six races.