Lando Norris doubles down on divisive tactic as emotions run high after qualifying crash

has defended his decision to call himself a 'f***ing idiot' over the radio after crashing during qualifying at the . The driver's self-critical approach has been a divisive topic of debate in the paddock leading into this weekend's race. The five-time race winner was in the fight for pole heading into Q3 on Saturday but lost control of his MCL39 machine after running over a kerb in sector one.

Norris' car was sent wriggling into the outside barriers, bringing his qualifying session to an end. Meanwhile, his title rivals, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, finished on the front row. After crashing his McLaren machine, the 25-year-old informed his engineers that he was unharmed before adding: "F***ing idiot." This was the latest instance of Norris adopting an intensely self-critical approach to assessing his performances.

Asked about his frank assessment, Norris said: "I don't know, what did I say?" When he was informed, he doubled down, stating: "Makes sense. Well, yeah, I mean, I agree with it. I should be fighting for pole and especially on a [first fast] lap, I shouldn't be taking any silly risks like I seem to have done.

"I need to go and review it all, like I said. You know, not a guarantee we would have been on pole, because Max looks like he did a good job. I mean, Red Bull were quick the whole of qualifying, it wasn't a surprise.

"So, it would have been nice just to be in that fight. I was doing well until then and feeling comfortable. But I mean, it makes sense, I shunted, you know. Again, I'm not going to be proud, I'm not going to be happy.

"I've let myself down, I've let the team down, and the guys have got a big job to do now to fix it all. So, yeah, it's the way it is. I agree with what I said, but I still look forward to tomorrow and have to try and make up for today."

Norris is now in for an evening of damage limitation on Sunday. The Brit will start from 10th on the grid and, providing a disaster for Verstappen and Piastri at the head of the field, will lose his grip on the lead of the Drivers' Championship, which he has held since the season opener in Melbourne.

This weekend has been another worrying step for Norris, who has been second-best in the McLaren camp since storming to victory in Australia. Piastri is the only driver with multiple Grand Prix victories this season, and he showed stronger pace than his team-mate in Japan en route to a P3 finish as well.