Lando Norris, McLaren, Autodromo do Algarve, 2020

Norris says Stroll’s second turn one crash shows “he doesn’t learn from anything he does”

2020 Portuguese Grand Prix

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Lando Norris criticised Lance Stroll for the collision between the pair in the Portuguese Grand Prix, but apologised for swearing at him on his radio afterwards.

Stroll was given a five-second time penalty by the stewards and two points on his licence for colliding with Norris when he tried to overtake the McLaren driver on the outside of turn one during the race.

“I don’t know what he was doing, really,” said Norris. “He went to the left, I didn’t know where he was, really.

“He went to the left which I was quite surprised by when he could very easily have gone for the inside. And I was easily halfway alongside he just turns in.”

Stroll had a similar collision with Max Verstappen during second practice on Friday. “He obviously didn’t learn from Friday,” said Norris, “but he doesn’t seem to learn with anything he does. It happens a lot with him so I need to make sure I stay away now.”

Following the incident Norris furiously criticised Stroll on his radio. “What the fuck is this dickhead doing?” he exclaimed. “I’ve got damage, I need to box. I’ve got front wing damage. Cunt.”

Norris apologised for his comments after taking the chequered flag. “I apologise for what I said about Lance,” he said. “I shouldn’t have said the words I did. Just in the moment it was annoying.”

Both drivers had to pit as a result of the collision. Stroll later retired, while Norris finished 13th.

“I think we did a good race,” he said afterwards. “Yes we did struggle in the first stint but so did a lot of soft starters because of rain and killing the front tyres.

“Apart from that I think we pushed hard. We did a good job to try and recuperate but just didn’t have any luck.”

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2020 Portuguese Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    65 comments on “Norris says Stroll’s second turn one crash shows “he doesn’t learn from anything he does””

    1. Lando (always telling it how it is) in my heart. :D

      1. Lando is the c * * *

        1. Barry Bens (@barryfromdownunder)
          25th October 2020, 17:54

          How is he to blame if Stroll can’t drive at all? He’s the worst paydriver of the last few decades and we’ve seen a ton of them.

          Guy doesn’t even know where his rainlights are, or claims he has no energy to use when the team tells him to use it, because he’s pressing down the radio button.

          1. Didn’t say he was to blame. I said he was a c * * *

          2. Worst pay driver of the last few decades?

            I don’t recall Mazzacane or Tarso Marques getting two podiums and challenging a driver such as Perez.

            1. We will never know what Mazzacane and Marques had had achieved with their fathers buying them good teams, subteams inside the teams taking them to test in tracks they would race weeks later and other drivers coaching and setting up the cars for them.

          3. Not defending Stroll, but there was Maldonado.

    2. *not censored by racefans*

      Brutal stuff by Lando. Quite the vocabulary.

    3. Atleast Norris had decency to apologise for language.

    4. I’m English. I always get behind our British talent but Lando really Grates on me. I could maybe accept that if he wore his big boy pants and showed some winning spirit but he doesn’t.
      Lance & Lando have alot in common. Both bought up as entitled rich kids with Lance being infinitely more likeable and probably the better driver. I hate not being able to give my support to my countrymen (lando is half Belgian but …) however Lando is the first I really struggle with.

      1. Lance being infinitely more likeable and probably the better driver

        I’m sorry Dean, I’m going to have to stop you there. Fine you don’t like him, but Stroll a better driver… you serious?

        1. Lance has performed significantly better in this years car than he did last year, to the point where he almost shows the potential that he was said to have when he was in the lower formulas. Almost.

          Unfortunately, he still does not out perform Perez when it matters and makes critical mistakes like this weekend all too often. Whilst his off at Mugello cannot be considered a mistake, this weekend was all his own making and the Racing Points had the potential to come in easily 4th and 5th. Perez’s race was hampered by being punted by Max but if they had not gone for the soft tyres, he wouldn’t have been 7th.

          Stroll almost got out of ‘spoilt rich kid’ in my book this year, but daddy sacking Perez and Lance making poor decisions that he has the experience to avoid is leading me back towards him not being talented enough to deserve his seat.

          He will get a pass for being positive Covid for the Nurburgring even though he should have driven but I can’t help thinking he just doesn’t want it enough.

          Lando is clearly a better driver, way more likeable as a personality and has better eyebrows. Couldn’t agree more

          1. He is not talented enough to deserve the seat because a more talented driver is leaving to make space to another more talented driver while his place is safe.

            RP was at least the 3rd fastest car today. Perez fell to last place and was able to do a 2 pits strategy and still hold on to 5th until the very end and only failing to keep it because of a bad choice with the tyres. Stroll? dead last, retired to save face from the shame.

          2. “He will get a pass for being positive Covid for the Nurburgring even though he should have driven “

            I’m assuming this is a typo? He’s tested positive for COVID and he still should have driven? That’s Trump logic right there!

        2. Well…that was maybe hyperbole but Lance is no worse than Lando.

      2. Why you don’t like Norris, Dean? He seems like quite a likeable character from what I’ve seen, so interested as to why he grates with you? Not a dig, just genuinely curious.

        Regarding the incident, I think the language he used was over the top, but Norris is right that Stroll is either a very slow learner or doesn’t learn at all (still makes the same rookie errors time and again).

        In terms of their driving capabilities, I think looking at what we’ve seen from both drivers, Norris has the upper hand. The only teammate Stroll has ever regularly beaten was Sirotkin, whilst Norris has gone toe to toe with a very quick and consistent Sainz, often out-qualifying him and beating him in races. I’m not saying Stroll is a terrible driver, he has decent race pace on his day (and if he stays out of trouble), but in equal machinery I think the evidence suggests that Norris would have the beating of him.

      3. Jose Lopes da Silva
        26th October 2020, 16:30

        “Lando really Grates on me. I could maybe accept that if he wore his big boy pants and showed some winning spirit”
        Lando Norris is a typical urban Gen-Z post-Millennial kid. You’re probably a Boomer so you could not be more far away from that reality.

        “with Lance being infinitely more likeable”
        This sums it up very well. Argh.

        BTW, Norris can be fired if he underperforms. He does not own McLaren.

    5. But people blamed Max as the driver behind for the Friday incident, yet here the other way round. #MakeUpYourMind

      1. One is colourful language the other is cruel term to both people with downs and also to people from the far east. You’re certainly consistant in your blasé attitude towards the unpleasant

      2. There is a slight difference in that this was a race rather than free practice. Plus the fact Max was the attacker, so it’s different @jerejj

      3. Max used particularly pejorative slurs that are offensive to people with disabilities.

        Lando was being offensive without being pejorative which is a different matter as he was not suggesting anything similar to the connotations that Max’s slurs evoke.

        1. Also Lando did appologise for the language used unlike other case where people with questionable character came to defense.

    6. Stroll got the penalty he deserved, but Norris wasn’t exactly Mr clean in that & the previous lap either.

      Putting your car in the middle so that the faster car with DRS can’t get past. Before anyone argues there’d be space on Norris’ right, that space was taken up by the pit exit and before that the section had marbles and dust. Riccardo did the same, and Perez did it on the 64th lap. Right on the limit but not too much to be penalised, I don’t think blame is on Stroll a 100%.

      1. someone or something
        25th October 2020, 20:10

        What. You new to F1?

        1. Maybe time to stop watching or caring, or better to stop hanging around this forum.

          1. someone or something
            26th October 2020, 12:29

            I’m not sure what you’re trying to achieve by posting what looks like your internal thought process.

            Anyway, I was referring to this:

            Putting your car in the middle so that the faster car with DRS can’t get past.

            As @shepherd mentioned above, this is a perfectly common, and acceptable, maneuvre. Donwright elementary, even.
            Every defending driver is entitled to move once while defending (plus a second move back onto the racing line, if applicable), as long as they leave enough space for the attacking driver in case they already pulled alongside.

            As for the second part of your argumentation:

            Before anyone argues there’d be space on Norris’ right, that space was taken up by the pit exit and before that the section had marbles and dust.

            Well, duh.
            Firstly, the pit exit line applies to cars exiting the pit lane. Everyone else is free to drive over it as they please.
            Secondly, dust and marbles are by no means an unsurmountable obstacle. All they do is make you lose a bit of grip. That’s why the defending driver wants you to drive over it, or at least consider if it’s worth driving over it. In 95% of the cases, the answer is “Yes”. Yes, you do want to drive off the racing line and pay with a slight loss of grip for the next 2-3 corners, if that means you get a chance of gaining a position. Countless drivers did it yesterday, it’s THE most common way to overtake another car.

            All of this seems to indicate a lack of knowledge about fundamental aspects of racing. Hence my question.

            But it gets worse:
            What you said about Norris’s positioning of his car doesn’t even apply here. Stroll was so far behind, Norris didn’t even move on the approach to the corner. [Exhibit A]
            Stroll just had a rather eccentric idea and squeezed into a gap on Norris’s left, a gap that didn’t really exist, which is why he had to place half of his car on the kerb. Not illegal, but certainly not optimal, either. Begs the question why he didn’t simply take the inside line.
            Regardless of what he was thinking at that time, his true mistake and reason for the penalty happened when he came off the kerb and turned in: He went straight for the apex, as if Norris weren’t there, leaving no space for the McLaren. [Exhibit B]

            Pro tip: Next time, before you blame others, maybe just consider not writing something so outlandish it takes a small essay to highlight only the most obvious ways you’re wrong.

            1. Thanks for the lesson, I appreciate it. No sarcasm, sincerely.

            2. someone or something
              29th October 2020, 12:21

              @praxis
              You’re taking this pretty well. I realise I’ve been a bit harsh. Sorry for that.

            3. Well, when. I’m wrong, I’m wrong. No point denying that.

              About you being harsh, it’s the internet, no problem. I’d react differently if it was in person. 🙂

      2. “Putting your car in the middle so that the faster car with DRS can’t get past. “

        I think that’s called race craft ?

        1. Yeah this is a slightly strange comment. Just because a car is faster and has DRS doesn’t mean it has the right to pass the car in front. If they were team-mates I could maybe understand but they drive for different teams.

        2. @shepherd,
          Yup, I probably didn’t think hard enough before typing so many words there.

    7. Hate that stupid word and will always hate it.

      1. Yeah, I’m sick of seeing “Stroll” so much, too!

        1. He is – as I can call it – subnormal sometimes.

        2. Jose Lopes da Silva
          26th October 2020, 16:31

          It’s awful; add “Mazepin” next year.

          1. Tbh I don’t want Mazepin in F1

    8. Is it really necessary for racefans to print the uncensored transcript? I’m sure most adults could figure it out for themselves. I might be the odd one out here but I would like to be able to let my kids read the F1 news without learning new swear words.

      1. These drivers are just behaving like they’re recording an example of how to be angry on the team radio.

      2. Yes it is. Quality journalism does not leave room for misinterpretation.

        If the transcript for Verstappens remarks had read r***** and m***** you could have come up with all sorts of variations which would have missed the import of the respective slurs.

        Do you think the dictionary should not have naughty words in it?

        1. “BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP ANGRY TEAM RADIO ANGRY TEAM RADIO ANGRY TEAM RADIO”? Was that what I heard?

      3. @keithcollantine , are you sat with a big red button doing this on purpose :D

      4. Not a problem for me. I’m sure your kids already learning to swear at school.

      5. Lmao

    9. Aston Martin is one team Norris will never get a drive for. I felt like Stroll was anticipating Norris to swerve to the inside so committed to the outside. He didn’t leave the track he had a tyre on the kerb but not over the kerb.

      Stroll’s fault, but I feel like these guys race Stroll hard. If a Leclerc put that move on Norris he yields to fight another day.

      At least Lance Stroll doesn’t carry on with the nasty personal abuse like some of these other rich kids in the sport.

    10. Barry Bens (@barryfromdownunder)
      25th October 2020, 17:56

      Shows once more Stroll has 0 place in Formula 1, but sadly it’s allowed for his daddy to buy a team and give him a spot. If Formula One really want to show they are the top of the autosport, they should put rules in place to prevent that. Stroll should not be in F1.

    11. The whole incident felt like Norris has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Both on track and after the fact.

    12. Maybe need to look at the rules regarding parents owning F1 teams just so their child can drive in F1, stroll shouldn’t be on the grid, especially if young talent like Russel may end up without a drive.

      1. Ah yes, so under your rules Racing Point would have gone bust and two less seats would be available. Amazing!

        1. @emu55 Which incidentally would likely have prevented Russell from getting on the grid at all, because Perez would have been in that seat…

    13. Yeah come on @keithcollantine leave the swearing to the young ones.

    14. Personal preferences and personalities aside, Lando has earned his place in F1, whether people like it or not, it’s a fact. Stroll on the other hand doesn’t seem to have the ability or inclination to learn from his mistakes. Yes he’s had some great results this year but that what driving last years championship winning car can do to flatter a driver. He still has to drive it of course but it’s certainly a big head start over anyone not called Red Bull or Mercedes factory drivers. You put them both in the same car and Lando just clears off into the distance leaving Stroll floundering. Personally I like them both. Lando is passionate and wears his heart on his sleeve a little bit. Like Verstappen without quite so much arrogance. Stroll seems like a nice kid but he’s out of his depth in this particular talent pool (F1). As for the comment re rich little boys ( aimed at Norris and Stroll) apart from one or two notable exceptions, motor racing is not a game you get an invite to without having a lot of resources to throw at it. Lewis being the most obvious case. Just MHO, no offence.

      1. Yeah, Lewis didn’t have bucket loads of cash to throw at it. He is there simply because his dad sacrificed everything to get him noticed enough to be picked up by Ron Dennis.

        By and Large though, yes, buckets of cash is where it is at these days. Stroll and Latifi at Williams, Perez at Racing Point, Giovinazzi at Alfa (seat controlled by Ferrari due to financial deals) are just some. I can’t imagine a kart racer from Stevenage would get a seat in today’s fiscal environment without some huge sponsorship deal.

        Stroll does come across as a likeable character, he moderates his language and you can tell he has been brought up respectfully, however, you cannot escape the fact that he has less innate ability than others such as Lando and as Lando has stated, seems not to take quite as much notice of the lessons learned through mistakes.

        His ability blows hot and cold and I can only put this down to motivation. Sometimes he appears motivated, other times not. He is usually motivated when he’s ahead of Perez, but as soon as Perez is past him, he seems to deflate and can’t match Perez for pace ever. This weekend a case in point. Perez qualifies a lot higher than Stroll but goes off on lap 1. He’s at the back and Lance appears to roll up his sleeves and makes a couple of places. Perez starts to climb the field and then Stroll and Norris collide. Stroll goes to the back, rightfully gets a couple of penalties and he simply gives up. With the 3rd fastest car on the grid this weekend, he should have been all over the Williams of Latifi and the two Haas cars, but he simply couldn’t do it.

        See one of the other articles and his lap time was usually 0.5 – 1s slower than Perez but even before the off, he was never more than 0.6 – 0.8s a lap faster than Latifi or the Haas crews. He should have been closer to 2s a lap faster like Perez was. Sure, he was a hell of a long way back after his penalties and nose change etc, but he should have been better than that.

    15. ersonal preferences and personalities aside, Lando has earned his place in F1, whether people like it or not, it’s a fact. Stroll on the other hand doesn’t seem to have the ability or inclination to learn from his mistakes. Yes he’s had some great results this year but that what driving last years championship winning car can do to flatter a driver. He still has to drive it of course but it’s certainly a big head start over anyone not called Red Bull or Mercedes factory drivers. You put them both in the same car and Lando just clears off into the distance leaving Stroll floundering. Personally I like them both. Lando is passionate and wears his heart on his sleeve a little bit. Like Verstappen without quite so much arrogance. Stroll seems like a nice kid but he’s out of his depth in this particular talent pool (F1). As for the comment re rich little boys ( aimed at Norris and Stroll) apart from one or two notable exceptions, motor racing is not a game you get an invite to without having a lot of resources to throw at it. Lewis being the most obvious case. Just MHO, no offence.

    16. Well you can criticize both of them. We saw in that race how you can overtake there without contact. Still I would say it was 75/25 Stroll/Norris. It was a bold move from Stroll but Norris’ defence was a bit sketchy. Some people end up crashing and some collect those points..

    17. The fight shouldn’t be on the radio, but on the track.. Come over it, Lando. You are a good driver, so is Stroll, so use your energy there on the track instead of on the radio

    18. Stephen Higgins
      26th October 2020, 10:33

      I dunno, the words ‘get off the grid, imposter’ spring to mind. Shabby and careless, almost as if he doesn’t much care about what happens to the other (non-billionaire) drivers around him.

      Entitled, moi?

      Incredibly annoying for Norris… when it’s a mechanical retirement you can handle it, but this? He’s being amazingly restrained.

      Get used to it, though, Lando – there’s plenty more where this came from. Lance is here to stay.

      1. Stroll was An Impostor. 1 Impostor remains.
        Verstappen was not An Impostor. 1 Impostor remains.
        Norris was not An Impostor. 1 Impostor remains.
        Impostor (Ocon) wins.

    19. Haha, thank goodness we’re blocked from using the same language @keithcollantine uses in his articles! :D Only kidding. It’s so refreshing to see the original quotes in all their glory. Thanks, Keith!

    20. To me at least, Verstappen caused the practice crash. Stroll caused the race crash.

    21. Stroll just isn’t a very good driver, is he? I also wondered why he went to the outside when the inside was wide open, just waiting to be taken…

    22. McLaren-Racing Point: Norris insults Stroll, resulting in a big fist fight. Both get sent off. Ends in a draw.
      Racing Point-McLaren: Perez scores the winning goal in the 90th minute and then celebrates in front of Norris as an act of revenge.

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