Ralf Schumacher airs ‘crazy’ theory about Lando Norris after McLaren heartbreak at Dutch Grand Prix

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Lando Norris suffered one of the toughest moments of his Formula 1 career so far at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday. A late mechanical failure led to a retirement and cost him 18 critical points.

Sitting on the embankment near the circuit as his car was recovered, Norris channelled some of the most heartbreaking moments in F1 championship battles. Teammate Oscar Piastri won the race, having largely kept his teammate at a comfortable distance, and now holds a commanding 34-point lead.

If Norris comes back from this position, without the aid of a retirement on the other side of the garage, it will arguably be one of the great F1 title wins. Reliability wasn’t expected to be a factor.

The team’s record had been virtually flawless all season in that department. McLaren’s biggest fear was that one of their drivers would be hit by misfortune, though it remains to be seen whether this is decisive.

Ralf Schumacher says Dutch Grand Prix crash could be ‘helpful’ for Lando Norris

Speaking on Sky Germany after the race, Ralf Schumacher tried to offer Norris some encouragement. He says the pressure is now ‘off’ for the remainder of the season.

He’s suddenly become a semi-outsider in the title race, having entered the break just nine points behind. If Piastri fails to win the title from here, it could be seen as a major failure.

Schumacher thinks the nothing-to-lose mentality could serve Norris well. Critics have suggested that the McLaren driver is prone to making mistakes in the highest-pressure moments.

The flip side here, of course, is that any more errors could be fatal to his already-receding ambitions.

“As crazy as it sounds, this takes the pressure off Lando,” Schumacher, who won six Grands Prix during his career, said. “He can’t help it and can now fight freely again. I know that sounds strange. But it might be mentally helpful.”

What Lando Norris was seen doing during F1 podium ceremony at Zandvoort

To add to the pain for Norris, he arrived back at the pit lane just as the podium ceremony was getting underway. He had to listen to his teammate celebrating.

According to The Athletic, one fan shouted ‘keep your head up’ at Norris as he went past. This apparently drew a ‘wry smile’.

Piastri called Norris ‘incredibly unfortunate’, and it remains to be seen whether he now starts to drive more conservatively. He has previously taken risks in wheel-to-wheel battles with his teammate, leading to warnings over the radio.

In the opinion of Karun Chandhok, Piastri already inflicted a psychological blow on Norris by taking pole when the latter had appeared faster all weekend. Prior to this race, the lead had never been larger than 22 points.