Nico Rosberg criticised Lando Norris for his first lap performance at the Belgian Grand Prix, where he was overtaken by his teammate.
Norris’ McLaren teammate and championship rival, Oscar Piastri, made quick work of him on his way to winning the Belgian Grand Prix. He was easily past him on the run down to turn five, and a series of Norris mistakes gave him a comfortable margin of victory come the chequered flag.
Rosberg was critical of McLaren after they reported that Norris had a problem with his battery on the restart. Norris has since dismissed those claims, leaving the former world champion, Rosberg, to turn his attention to the Brit.
Nico Rosberg says Lando Norris made mistakes that Max Verstappen wouldn’t
Rosberg said that Norris, who got the race underway behind the safety car, made mistakes that F1’s all-time greats wouldn’t have.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, he said, “I think he could have done a bit better. Oscar was literally in his gearbox on the restart. It felt like Lando didn’t nail that.
“You can take the guy by surprise. Oscar doesn’t know when Lando’s going to go, and you can take him by surprise, but that didn’t work out.
“Once Oscar is close, you’re in trouble anyway. There’s not much more he could have done. I don’t know about his driving through Eau Rouge because Oscar got an amazing run through there. I don’t know if Lando lifted there or what.”
Rosberg went on to question whether the best drivers, like four-time world champion Max Verstappen, would have lost the position to Piastri.
He continued, “Just not optimally executed. You’d think that Verstappen would have done it better. And that lost him the race.”
Another former world champion, Damon Hill, said Piastri has the mental edge over Norris in their championship battle. This is further evidence of that.
Former F1 driver says Oscar Piastri was braver than Lando Norris
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer analysed the lap one move for F1 TV, citing a lack of grip for Norris as his initial issue.
He said, “The restart is difficult in the wet, but Lando doesn’t make a great one. He’s struggling for grip, and we can see that straight away at La Source. Oscar is very close behind, and when they come out of the corner, you have Lando on a slightly wider trajectory.
“What that means is Lando is fighting the rear of the car, and he’s going to lose on the run down to Eau Rouge. Oscar’s now in the best position to try to make the move.”
Eau Rouge is one of the most legendary series of corners in the world. It’s a place for bravery, especially in the wet, and Palmer said that was the difference between the McLaren drivers here.
He said, “Unlike in the dry, Eau Rouge isn’t flat in the wet, so now it’s a bravery game to see who can keep their foot in. Oscar does a really good job in the spray and the dirty air. He’s going to come around, Lando, and that’s the move done and the win for Oscar Piastri.”
The best drivers on the F1 grid, such as Lewis Hamilton, thrived in the wet at Spa. According to Rosberg and Palmer, Piastri showed an edge in talent over his teammate in tricky conditions.