After Stunning 2023 Turnaround, Lando Norris Claims Andrea Stella to Be the ‘Best’ McLaren Could Ever Have

After Stunning 2023 Turnaround, Lando Norris Claims Andrea Stella to Be the ‘Best’ McLaren Could Ever Have

Despite a woeful start to the 2023 campaign, McLaren registered an unprecedented turnaround as the season progressed. Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the team’s establishment, newly inducted team principal Andrea Stella ensured that they ended the season as one of the front-runners. Now, in hindsight, Lando Norris has applauded the Italian with some very high praise.

While speaking about Stella, Autosport.com quoted Norris as saying, “He’s the producer of the set, and everyone else is the cast but you need everyone to work together very well. That’s what they’re doing. So, he’s done an amazing job. I’m very, very happy with having him where he is. He still does a lot for the team every single weekend in terms of racing and qualifying and all of that. But I can’t ask for a better team principal.”

After bringing in major upgrades at the Austrian GP, McLaren saw a huge upturn in pace. The British GP solidified their developmental route. They even earned a double podium finish, and in the second half of the season, were arguably the second-fastest team behind Red Bull.

For 2024, however, battling with Ferrari and Mercedes isn’t enough. After showing what they’ve got in terms of pace and a foundation, Norris and Co. are eager to put the might of Red Bull to the test next season.

Lando Norris cautiously optimistic about 2024 title fight with Max Verstappen

Norris is tipped as a future world champion. That being said, it seems as though 2024 could finally be that year when the Briton’s potential is put to the ultimate test against Max Verstappen.

PlanetF1.com quoted the 23-year-old as saying, “For us to go from where we were in Bahrain to getting close and talking about fighting a Red Bull. I think are very good signs for us. We know we still have plenty more things to come next year. So I’m excited.”

After the stunning job Stella pulled off in maneuvering the team’s fortunes, confidence is sky high at McLaren.

Norris added, “There’s no point thinking of it until next year. But I’ll be optimistic and I believe we can do it as a team,” while discussing a potential championship fight with the Bulls.

McLaren isn’t the only team looking to dethrone Red Bull. With Ferrari and Mercedes eyeing the crown, 2024 might provide one of the closest title battles in recent times.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Andrea Stella Lando Norris McLaren

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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