McLaren F1 remains dedicated to Lando Norris’s growth, despite the gap to Max Verstappen’s high standards. The team focuses on Norris’s potential and consistency to meet the evolving demands of Formula 1.
McLaren F1 is very keen to continue its long-term journey with Lando Norris, as Zak Brown reminded during the unveiling of the 2024 livery, but the British driver is not yet at Max Verstappen‘s level.
Andrea Stella, the team director, is obviously very satisfied with Norris, but he believes Verstappen has set “new standards” for F1 drivers. It’s up to Norris to try and get closer to that.
Starting with consistency in performance. Norris’s tendency to overdrive has sometimes frustrated the driver himself, especially during qualifiers. This leads to time loss or, worse, mistakes.
“Certainly, it was a good 2023 season for Lando. If we look at the numbers after our developments from Austria onwards, Lando is the second-highest scorer behind Max, reflecting his driving quality, the performance he’s capable of as a Formula 1 driver, which places him at the top.”
“At the same time, opportunities arise that are not seized. We’ve had contacts with certain walls, like in the Saudi Arabia qualifiers, which really came out of nowhere. I don’t think there’s a single element to identify and attack. When dealing with champions, when it comes to reaching such a high level in professional sport, you have to look at opportunities very holistically.”
Norris’s Potential: Chasing F1’s New Standards
“Things are also quite interconnected, like the physical state is linked to the mental state, which is tied to overall well-being, to integration into the team. All these factors are very strong on Lando’s side, but it’s just that the sport is so competitive, you need to be constantly at the top, that’s what makes the difference.”
“It’s not really the top potential of Lando. Especially for him, it’s almost uncharted, we still don’t know how good he can be.”
“Sometimes, he surprises us with some of the performances he has achieved, think about the pole position in the sprint in Brazil after losing two or three tenths in the first sector, how did he manage to put our F1 in pole position in the next five turns? It was just incredible.”
“But consistency in that kind of performance, that’s what makes the difference. And I think Max really sets, from what we’ve recently seen, new standards in terms of consistency and performance.”
“So that’s the philosophy to follow. That’s the goal, working with our drivers to achieve this. It’s certainly something that’s at the forefront of our agenda as we head into the start of the 2024 season.”
Unlocking Norris’s Growth In F1: Consistency Is Key. Unlocking Norris’s Growth In F1: Consistency Is Key
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