Andrea Stella, the team boss of McLaren, expresses confidence in Lando Norris’ ability to clinch his first Formula 1 victory in 2024, provided he has a competitive car at his disposal.
Norris has been one of the standout performers in F1 since 2021, yet a maiden Grand Prix win has remained just out of reach. A notable moment came at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, where Norris was in contention for the win but missed the opportunity due to a late decision against switching to intermediate tires, leading to Lewis Hamilton‘s victory.
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Since that close call, McLaren’s ability to contend, especially in the face of Max Verstappen‘s overwhelming dominance, has made the prospect of winning a Grand Prix somewhat distant.
However, with McLaren anticipated to bridge the gap with Red Bull during the off-season, the upcoming races might present Norris with the chance to secure his long-awaited first win.
Stella is confident that with a competitive McLaren car, Norris will be able to seize the opportunity and achieve victory.
“If we take a look at the numbers from Austria on, Lando is the second highest scorer behind Max [Verstappen]. This reflects the quality of the driving, the delivery he is capable of, which puts him at the top of the grid.” he said.
“The first victory is always the most important, then things come slightly easier. The main reason this has not been possible is because we have not put Lando in the position to consistently compete for a victory. He is ready for that, it’s more about us being ready in delivering the car that allows him to take the opportunities.”
Despite McLaren’s notable performance boost in mid-2023, Stella maintains that there is still potential for further improvement within the team.
“When we look at the car, the suspension, tyres, aerodynamics, they all have a lot to offer in this generation of regulation so we are looking to cash-in these performance opportunities,” he added.
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