Stella Highlights Importance Of Consistency For Norris Amid Verstappen Comparison
F1Saturday, 20 January 2024 at 11:00
The CEO of the McLaren Formula 1 team, Andrea Stella, recently discussed how crucial consistency is nowadays when it comes to the drivers at the top.
Lando Norris has shown quite a few incredible performances in 2023. Mexico City Grand Prix is a good example, as the 24-year-old's comeback from the back of the grid left almost everybody speechless.
His team principal, Andrea Stella, stated after that Grand Prix, it had been one of the best races he had ever been part of. On the other hand, the McLaren driver also made quite a few mistakes last year.
Asked where these mistakes are coming from, Stella asserted there isn't a single element that can be identified and that a more holistic approach is needed.
The team principal believes his driver hasn't reached the top of his potential and can still improve much further. He told motorsport.com:
"It is just that the game is so competitive that you need to be at the top consistently. That’s what makes the difference. It’s not really the top potential. Especially for Lando, this is almost unexplored as to how good he is."
The 52-year-old pinpointed another of Norris's unbelievable results - the pole position at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint race. He said:
"Sometimes he surprises us with some of the performances he can put together. Think about the pole position in the sprint in Brazil after he had lost two, three tenths in the first sector."
While Norris showed he clearly has the speed and potential to challenge drivers like Max Verstappen, McLaren's team principal explained he needs to get more consistent.
"How did he manage to put it on pole in the other five corners? That was just amazing. But consistency in this kind of delivery is what makes the difference."
The most consistent and flawless driver in 2023 has been Verstappen. The Dutchman didn't make a single mistake in the Grand Prix race last season and finished 21 out of 22 races on the podium. Stella added:
"And I think that Max [Verstappen] is really establishing new standards in terms of how consistently you can perform strongly."
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