McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has refuted Lando Norris‘ self-criticism of his efforts across the 2024 Formula 1 season, stating that the Briton is performing at “world championship level”.
On Thursday, Norris stated that he was dissatisfied with the number of mistakes he has made over the opening 14 races, adding that he had not “performed at the level of a world champion” in his outside bid to close Max Verstappen down for the title.
Stella felt that Norris was exuding his typical self-deprecative “style” in his comments, and was keen to assert that not only did his driver share traits of past world champions in F1, he was already operating at a satisfactory level.
He added that it was up to the team to match Norris and ensure that it provided the Englishman with the right opportunities to start winning races more regularly this season.
“The first thing I make of his comment is [it] kind of confirms his style. He’s quite self-critical. He tends to look occasionally at the half-empty part of the glass,” Stella reckoned.
“In reality, I think he definitely has the potential of a world champion, and he’s performing at world championship level. If we compare against perfection, then definitely we have opportunities [to improve].
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team, on the podium
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“But I like that we compare ourselves against perfection, because this is what we need to do. And I’ve been very encouraged that every little opportunity has been actually analysed in great level of detail.”
“We do see some of the opportunities coming in the first lap, for instance, and trying to find the balance between being aggressive or simply like staying away from situation or accidents,” the Italian added. “We definitely have something to clean on the start itself, which is not only driver, it’s also team responsibility.
“I think he had a couple of situations in the races in which he might have taken some of the responsibility but I think it was the team responsibility. If the team had operated at higher standards, then Lando would have more points in the championship.
“And definitely as a team, we kind of appreciate that he puts some of the pressure on himself, or he raises his hand and says it was on him. But I think I have enough experience to say, ‘Mate, don’t worry. It’s on the team. Keep doing a good job’.”
Stella explained that…
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