McLaren Formula 1 boss Andrea Stella has stated that Lando Norris‘ long-standing commitment to the team has caused there to be an “emotional bias” towards him.
Norris will become McLaren’s most represented driver in F1 in next weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, where he could seal a maiden title depending on results in Las Vegas.
The Briton possesses a 24-point lead over team-mate Oscar Piastri, whom he has combined with to hand McLaren a second successive Constructors’ Championship.
But although recent seasons have seen him and the team revel in much success, Norris was made to bide his time until he was rewarded with a competitive package.
Having made his debut in the sport with the Woking-based squad in 2019, the now 11-time Grand Prix victor had to wait until 2024 to secure his maiden win in Miami.
McLaren’s struggles in the intervening period did prompt Red Bull to make repeated overtures to sign Norris, but he turned down all advances to remain with McLaren.
And Stella, whose appointment as team boss in 2023 was integral to McLaren’s turnaround, has recalled how that sent a strong message that he remains indebted to.
“It’s been a fantastic journey together with Lando,” Stella told the Beyond the Grid podcast.
“I remember very well his first test in Hungary. Very, very talented. We were saying like, ‘Okay, 20 bar more here, more pressure’. He would go out, he would do it. So clearly great awareness of what he’s doing in the car.
“His development has been continued. As a driver he’s become a very strong driver in the race, especially some conditions. I think he’s definitely the best driver when it comes to going long stints, used tyres, like that’s Lando’s regime.
“And in addition to this great drive and the results that Lando has brought to McLaren, he has been a fundamental part of the leadership.
“The commitment he made to McLaren when we did not have much to offer. And yet he committed to McLaren, he kind of trusted that we would have turned the place around.
“It’s something that set a strong message to everyone, set a strong message to the entire team, a message of belief. And it’s a message for which we are definitely grateful.”
McLaren ‘grateful’ to both drivers
However, Stella has repudiated that’s created a subconscious wish within the team to see Norris be the one to win McLaren’s first Drivers’ title since 2008 over Piastri.
“The commitment to the team, the same sort of all-in to the team, full support to the team, it did come from Oscar as well,” the Italian added.
“So when you are in my role, it’s like when you are two sons, and somebody says, ‘like, which one is your preferred son?’
“Yeah, but they are my two sons. How can you say which one is the preferred one?
“So sometimes when I hear or read some comments of this kind, I find them really very superficial.
“I think that sometimes people don’t really understand what it means to have two drivers that are with you together in this journey. So I just feel very grateful to both in fairness.”
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