Lando Norris clueless behind the wheel, Oscar Piastri is securing the pol.

Lando Norris admitted to feeling “clueless” behind the wheel after a disappointing qualifying session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he could only manage sixth place on the grid—despite his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri securing pole.

“I’ve been off it all weekend. I don’t know why,” the 25-year-old confessed. “It’s like I’ve never driven a Formula 1 car before.” Despite describing the McLaren as “amazing” and the best it has been all season, Norris said he struggled to connect with it, battling inconsistency throughout the sessions.

The Briton, who currently leads the drivers’ championship by a single point over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, was 0.426 seconds off Piastri’s pole time. Between them on the grid sit Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), George Russell (Mercedes), Pierre Gasly (Alpine), and Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes).

“I just need a big reset,” Norris continued. “I can’t figure it out. Every time I try something, it’s good for one session and then it’s the wrong thing for the next. The car changes with the wind, and I just can’t flow with it. When I can’t flow, I’m just not quick.”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella shed light on Norris’ struggles, suggesting they stem from a specific handling trait of the car that becomes most pronounced in the high-pressure Q3 segment of qualifying.

“Lando is incredibly fast and has amazing race craft,” Stella said. “But when you’re chasing the final tenth in Q3, small issues become amplified. It’s a phase—temporary—and we understand what’s causing it.”

Stella emphasized the issue doesn’t affect Norris’ race pace, pointing to strong long-run simulations during practice. “We’re optimistic. Lando is still very much in the fight.”

Hamilton at a Loss After Qualifying Struggles

Lewis Hamilton was similarly perplexed following his qualifying performance. The seven-time world champion will start ninth, after finishing nearly six-tenths of a second behind teammate George Russell—who was later handed a grid penalty, promoting Leclerc to the front row.

“Not much to say. I’m just not doing a good enough job,” Hamilton said bluntly. “Clearly the car is good enough. I just wasn’t quick today.”

Asked how he planned to improve, Hamilton replied, “I really don’t know. I don’t have a lot of answers.”

Hamilton’s frustration came despite recent signs of progress, including a sprint race victory in China.

Leclerc Banking on Bold Setups and New Ferrari Floor

Charles Leclerc, now second on the grid thanks to Russell’s penalty, said Ferrari’s form was improving thanks to aggressive car setups and a new floor upgrade introduced in Bahrain.

“Since a few races, I’ve gone in an interesting direction setup-wise,” Leclerc explained. “It seems to help me extract more performance. The team has done a really good job bringing this floor earlier than planned—it definitely made the difference today.”

Leclerc believes the floor’s full impact may not be felt until future races, but was encouraged by its immediate effect.

Verstappen Cautious After Qualifying Setbacks

Max Verstappen, who qualified seventh, reported issues with Red Bull’s braking system and inconsistent grip throughout the session. Though he ruled out challenging the McLarens, he was hopeful of competing with the rest of the field.

“With the balance we had today, it will be difficult,” he said. “But I’m only looking forward. The McLarens will be too quick, but the others we can follow.”

With championship leader Norris out of sorts and a resurgent Ferrari pushing forward, Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix is shaping up to be a strategic and psychological test for some of F1’s top names.