Lando Norris lands flexi-wing joke at Ferrari over Charles Leclerc damage

Lando Norris poked fun at F1 rivals Ferrari by making a joke about the flexi-wing controversy following the Chinese Grand Prix.

Norris, who finished second behind teammate Oscar Piastri as McLaren scored a comfortable 1-2 in Shanghai, joked front wing damage for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc “probably helped” his performance.

Leclerc finished fifth and completed the entire race with significant front wing damage after losing his front left endplate following a tangle with Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap.

Leclerc came home one place ahead of Hamilton as the Ferrari duo trailed McLaren by over 20 seconds in China. Both Ferraris were later disqualified.

The topic of flexi-wings has dominated the start of the 2025 F1 season, with governing body the FIA moving to clampdown on the so-called ‘mini DRS’ controversy.

McLaren and Ferrari have been suspected to be potentially bending the rules but both teams have passed the more stringent tests which were enforced by the FIA from the second round of the season in China.

Speaking in the cool down room following Sunday’s grand prix, the subject was referenced to as Norris landed a joke at Ferrari’s expense.

Cooldown room chat

Watching replays of the race, Norris, Piastri and Mercedes’ George Russell reacted to the first-lap contact between Leclerc and Hamilton.

Russell: “Oh goodness, he did really well then if he had that from early on...

“So Charles did the whole race with his…”

Norris: “With no front wing.”

Russell: “Jeez.”

Norris: “It made it extra flexi I guess, probably helped.”

Russell: “Yeah haha, I think he probably planned to do that.” 

There was also a reference to Michael Schumacher’s infamous defence against Rubens Barrichello at the 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix when the seven-time world champion nearly forced his former Ferrari teammate into the pit wall.

“That reminds me of Schumacher on Barrichello, that one,” Norris quipped as he watched back footage of him overtaking Russell into Turn 1.

“Were you Barrichello?” Russell joked back.

“You almost put me in the wall,” Norris added, laughing.