McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has come to the defense of Lando Norris, countering claims that the young British driver struggles at the start of races when starting from pole position. Despite a record that suggested Norris often lost the lead by the end of the first lap when starting from pole or first on the grid in a Sprint, Stella argues that the perception of Norris’ weakness has been overstated.
Norris’ critics pointed out that prior to the Singapore Grand Prix, he had failed to maintain the lead at the end of the opening lap on seven occasions when starting from pole. However, in Singapore, Norris fended off a challenge from Max Verstappen and pulled away to claim a dominant victory, suggesting a significant improvement.
Stella revealed that McLaren had conducted a detailed analysis of every start and first lap of Norris’ season, including his pole positions, to determine if there was a genuine issue. According to Stella, the findings indicated that Norris’ first-lap performances had been misinterpreted.
“I don’t disagree that starts and first-lap performance might have appeared as a weak point for Lando,” Stella said. “But after a thorough analysis involving Lando and the team, we reviewed every start and every first lap of the season. Even in instances where Lando didn’t retain the lead, we found he hadn’t given much away in terms of performance.”
Stella cited specific races such as Barcelona, where he believed George Russell would have taken the lead regardless of Norris’ actions, and Zandvoort, where cold tires due to team issues affected the starts of both McLaren cars. “While it looked like Lando had a significant opportunity there, the facts showed it wasn’t that clear-cut,” he explained.
Norris’ start preparation and tire management have been a focus for the team, with Stella noting improvements in his confidence and strategy from pole position. “Lando’s more concentrated on start preparation during a weekend, and he’s gaining confidence in what it takes to defend his territory on the first lap,” Stella said.
Stella also acknowledged that McLaren itself is on a learning curve as the team adapts to the pressures of being a consistent front-runner. “Racing at the front more often helps us adjust our approach as a team. We’ve learned the importance of strategic defense and managing internal competition, which we didn’t have to consider as much in the past.”
He highlighted the team’s development and growing familiarity with front-running scenarios, including waiting for rivals to make the first strategic move. “These are situations we were not very familiar with, but now we’re getting used to them,” Stella said.
Stella emphasized the importance of learning from missed opportunities and maintaining a constructive approach as McLaren continues to grow as a top team. “The key is to keep the team together, keep growing, and make sure we learn from every situation. I’m proud of how we’ve handled our challenges, and that’s more significant to me than the current performance alone,” he concluded.
Stella’s insights underscore McLaren’s commitment to evolving as a team and highlight Norris’ continued development as a driver capable of fighting at the front of the grid.
