Lando Norris has broken his silence following Ralf Schumacher’s explosive claim that McLaren has secretly shifted its focus toward Oscar Piastri in the 2025 Formula 1 title fight — a move that would sideline Norris in favor of his teammate.

Speaking to Sky Deutschland, the former F1 driver alleged that McLaren has “internally decided” Piastri is their title priority, criticizing Norris for “too many weaknesses and mistakes,” including his crash in Canada that ended his race and potentially his championship hopes.

“I believe that it is now internally decided that Piastri is the man the team will focus on in terms of the World Championship,” Schumacher said. “Lando shows too many weaknesses and makes too many mistakes, including his senseless driving into the back of Oscar in Canada.”

But Norris, when asked about the comments during Thursday’s press session ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, seemed blindsided — and visibly frustrated.

“How does he even know about this? It’s a bit ridiculous, to be honest,” Norris told reporters. “We win and lose as a team. Of course I made a mistake in Canada, and I owned up to it. But that doesn’t mean the team has given up on me. We’re still very much in this fight.”

The crash between Norris and Piastri on the main straight in Montreal not only knocked the Briton out of the race, but also increased the points gap between the two McLaren drivers to 22. Piastri currently leads the intra-team battle 6-4 in both qualifying and race finishes.

Despite the setback, Norris insists his mindset hasn’t changed — and took the opportunity to defend his approach.

“Look, I’ve been quick all season. Even in Canada, I had better pace than Oscar in the race. One crash doesn’t erase everything I’ve done,” Norris said. “People love drama, especially when it comes from someone not even inside the team. We’re pushing each other, and that’s what a top team should do.”

Schumacher did offer some praise for Norris, saying his apology to Piastri showed “what a great person he is,” but questioned whether “great people win titles.”

Meanwhile, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella declined to comment directly on Schumacher’s remarks but reiterated the team’s stance: “We let our drivers race — always fairly, always hard. That’s the spirit of McLaren.”

As the F1 paddock shifts its focus to the Red Bull Ring, Norris now faces mounting pressure not just from outside pundits, but from within his own garage. Yet he remains defiant.

“I’m not backing down,” Norris concluded. “There’s still a long season ahead, and I’m not done yet.”