After crashing out in Q3, Lando Norris stunned McLaren by bouncing back in minutes—refocusing instantly on strategy and Sunday’s race.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella shared a striking insight into Lando Norris’s mindset after his qualifying crash at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, saying the Briton needed just five minutes to reset and focus entirely on the race ahead.
Norris had been looking strong in Q3, even a serious contender for pole, when a small mistake saw him clip the wall and drop out. He’ll now start 10th on the grid, behind his title rivals, Max Verstappen on pole and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in second.
But according to Stella, the disappointment didn’t last long.
“Honestly, I’d say it took no more than five minutes, once Lando was back in our hospitality area, his mindset had already shifted,” Stella said. “He was back in race mode. That quick. And it gave the whole team a lift.”
Stella emphasized that Norris has come into the weekend with much more confidence than he showed in Bahrain. Even after the crash, the 24-year-old was quick to take responsibility for the error without letting it shake his focus.
“Crashing in qualifying is always frustrating,” Stella continued. “Lando could’ve been on the front row, and now he’s starting P10. But this is part of racing. These drivers have been doing this their whole lives. Disappointments like this aren’t new, and they know how to handle them.”
The debrief session right after qualifying didn’t dwell on the crash. Instead, the focus immediately shifted to tire strategy and optimizing the strong pace McLaren showed during Friday practice.
“It’s not just about morale,” Stella explained. “It’s about approach. It’s about asking: how do we move from that low point and get race-ready? Let’s be sharp. Let’s use that disappointment as fuel.”
“In high-performance sport, whether you’re an athlete or an engineer, you learn how to bounce back. Sometimes it only takes five minutes to flip the switch. That’s exactly what I saw in Lando, and in the entire team.”
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Norris Bounces Back Fast After Q3 Crash in Jeddah Norris Bounces Back Fast After Q3 Crash in Jeddah
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