Lando Dominates Zandvoort McLaren Hails Progress

McLaren’s top brass praised Lando Norris’s stellar win and strategic gains at Zandvoort, marking a significant race.

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, is immensely pleased with Lando Norris’s victory at Zandvoort, marking the British driver’s second career win and the third of a 2024 season that seems to be swinging in his team’s favor.

“It was truly fantastic. Lando drove flawlessly and the team executed superbly. It was a major victory, topped with the fastest lap, so we will celebrate tonight and then gear up for Monza.”

A 20-second victory margin over Max Verstappen, is that a surprise?

“We knew we were quick all weekend, so I’m not shocked by the size of the gap, just pleasantly surprised. Lando clearly had control of the race.”

“The upgrades definitely worked, but we need to stay grounded, given the competitiveness of Formula 1, and not assume it will be repeated every weekend.”

“We clearly have a fast car and some exciting developments to look forward to at Monza, so I think we’ll be ready. But I expect Red Bull to be quick there as well.”

Andrea Stella, his team principal, acknowledges some surprise himself.

“I would say it was unexpected… before arriving here. We never thought upon arriving at Zandvoort, which has been a challenging circuit for us in the past, that we could put in such a strong performance in qualifying and confirm it in the race.”

“I am very happy for the whole team and for Lando himself. I think he’s proven the level of competitiveness he can reach. We’ve always known it; he was flawless this weekend. And it’s a pity for Oscar, as he had the performance to be on the podium and pressure Max, but got stuck behind Leclerc.”

The upgrades to the MCL38 seem very effective!

“The performance gap this weekend is larger than the performance from the upgrades. So I think it’s a circuit that suits our car very well. And the upgrades might have added performance, but they aren’t the sole reason for our advantage.”

“Again, having upgrades that perform as expected, gives me another opportunity to thank the entire team for their quality and hard work. It motivates us for the next race and the rest of the season.”

With such a car, it’s hard not to think about the constructors’ championship. And perhaps even the drivers’?

“Let’s just say we continue to believe. We believed before this event and now, even more so. But at the same time, we’re talking about competing against Red Bull, the dominant team that knows what it’s doing. It won’t be an easy quest but we are fully determined to achieve it. I can hardly imagine how incredible it would be to succeed. And for Lando, if he continues like this, who knows!”