Nico Rosberg criticises Lando Norris after poor Belgian GP start: “Was a bit asleep”

Former Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg branded Belgian Grand Prix-winner Oscar Piastri as “simply phenomenal” after he overtook his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, whom he felt was “a bit asleep.”

Norris started the race from pole position, leading the first four laps behind the safety car. But as the safety car returned to the pits, Norris lost the lead to the Australian driver after an error on the exit of Turn 1.

Following this, McLaren split the strategy between the two drivers, who are fighting for the championship. Piastri came in for a pitstop one lap earlier than Norris to change from intermediate to medium tyres, whereas Norris stopped for the hard compound.

Piastri retained his lead from that point and nursed the medium tyres to the end of the race, clinching the victory and extending his lead in the championship standings. 

“Oscar Piastri was once again simply phenomenal,” Rosberg explained to Sky Sports Germany after the race. “As an athlete or racing driver, sometimes you only get one small chance – and he absolutely made the most of it. Ice-cold, sensational driving. And on the other side, you had Lando Norris, who didn’t execute everything optimally.

“Especially the restart – behind the Safety Car – I had the feeling he was a bit asleep. He got away very slowly, and Oscar Piastri was already right on his gearbox from the start. That’s very untypical, because when you’re in front, you get to choose when to go and can try to catch the others off guard. He didn’t manage that.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Peter Fox / Getty Images

“Then he made a mistake at the exit of Turn 1, and Oscar made a great move, went through Eau Rouge brilliantly. Oscar Piastri – again – sensational, really impressively strong.”

The 2016 champion continued: “Even after that, Lando still had a chance toward the end of the race, since he was on hard tyres, and Piastri’s tyres were degrading. But Lando made three mistakes, and the team also made a mistake during the pitstop – they lost about a second there. And then Lando lost another second on track in three separate errors. And those were exactly the three seconds that were missing in the final lap for him to possibly have a shot at attacking.

“I find that a bit – well, it’s kind of typical for Norris, but it’s a shame. A Hamilton or a Verstappen wouldn’t have made three mistakes in a chase like that. It’s a recurring issue, unfortunately. Still, overall, it was a good weekend for him, too. And the championship is still wide open.”

Photos from Belgian GP – Race