McLaren Formula 1 boss Andrea Stella has admitted Lando Norris’ win drought ending at the Miami Grand Prix was welcome as it lifted the “weight on our shoulders”.
Norris had retained the record for the most podiums logged in F1 without standing on the top step of the rostrum, but he ended that run on his 110th outing in Miami.
The Briton’s maiden triumph marked only the second time McLaren had prevailed since 2012, with Norris having finished runner-up to Daniel Ricciardo in Monza 2021.
Stella has said that McLaren did not doubt that Norris had the attributes to win races and the pressure to provide him with a capable car had weighed the team down.
“Realistically it was a bit of a weight on his shoulders,” he said when asked whether Norris would be relieved from the pressure that came with having not won a race.
“But it was some weight on our shoulders as well, because we knew as soon as we had made winning material available to Lando he would have delivered.
“So we felt the responsibility and I said that many times. We feel like it’s up to us, it’s not up to Lando.”
Stella has praised Norris for the progress he has made from last season in addressing the incidences where he was overdriving and squandering open opportunities.
“But credit to Lando that he kept developing, how he developed over the winter, especially looking for instance at improving in qualifying and delivering laps that sometimes don’t have to be 100% when you have a fast car,” he continued. “Just be there. And I think he’s doing that.”
Stella also commended his driver’s adaption to race situations, citing how the chance to capitalise on the Safeti car derived from Norris recognising the long game.
“And also I have to say his race management is now very mature,” the Italian added.
“As soon as he saw that there wasn’t much to do after the first lap, he started to save tyres, save tyres, because he knew his race would come at some stage.
“And then that pace he was able to pull off once the cars ahead of him pitted, then that was quite incredible.
“Fast in qualifying, even sometimes pacing himself, and very mature in the race at getting the best out of himself in the race.”
