The latest episode in the championship-battle drama of McLaren and its drivers has taken a sharp detour into media controversy.
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has forcefully rejected the idea that British driver Lando Norris is being given preferential treatment by McLaren in the 2025 title fight, going so far as to characterise the speculation as “bullying behaviour”.
The focus of his comments followed Norris’s dominant win at the Mexican Grand Prix and the subsequent boos he received from the crowd.
Schumacher addressed the matter on the podcast Backstage Boxengasse, saying that the suggestion Norris is being “handed” the championship by McLaren is unfounded and misleading. He described the theory as “really complete bulls***, sorry. Absurd.” He added: “There’s more going on here and I would almost say it amounts to bullying behaviour. I find it incredible what is being spread around in the media right now. So much nonsense is being circulated.”
Schumacher also defended McLaren’s CEO, Zak Brown, stating: “I want to say one thing about this and I heard it from a reliable source: Zak Brown doesn’t favour anyone, he doesn’t care. As long as one of his drivers wins the world title, the name doesn’t matter. He’s a businessman. As nice as he may be, he is tough.”
Norris’s own reaction to the boos was measured. After the Mexico win, he said: “They have the right to do it if they want to do it. So I think that’s the sport sometimes.” He also admitted: “I don’t know why I can’t stop laughing when I get booed. I think it makes it more entertaining for me. So yes, they can keep doing it if they want. Of course, you don’t want it. I prefer to have people cheer for me.” Norris’s win came by over 30 seconds at the Mexican Grand Prix, regaining the championship lead for the first time since April.
At stake is the integrity of the title fight and how internal team dynamics are perceived externally. Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, has struggled in comparison on certain circuits and that has prompted speculation that McLaren might favour Norris because of his longer relationship with the team.
Schumacher strongly dismissed that notion. “That theory is really complete bulls***, sorry. Absurd. Lando then explained it very well himself,” he said.
Such comments shed light on how commentary and speculation can shape the narrative around a driver — it’s not just what happens on track but how it is perceived and reported. Some fans and media outlets argue that Norris has been afforded smoother routes or team support, hence the boos in Mexico.
A journalist at the post-race press conference raised a poll suggesting Norris’s reception was a reaction to him being “handed” the title via team orders. Schumacher’s framing of that reaction as “bullying behaviour” elevates the discussion beyond simple sport coverage.
From a team perspective, McLaren management have attributed Piastri’s relative dip in form to specific circuit characteristics. According to the team, “McLaren have explained that Piastri’s recent difficulties are linked to Texas and Mexico being low-grip track surfaces.