In 2021, McLaren was at the top of F1 for a brief moment when they finished 1-2 at the Italian GP in Monza. Even though Lando Norris was the better driver that season, it was struggling teammate Daniel Ricciardo who led this finish. Despite missing out on his historic first win because of this, Norris labels that afternoon in Monza as his proudest moment in F1.
In a YouTube video published on his channel last year, Norris answered questions asked by F1 fans on social media. Going by norms, a fan asked the Briton what his proudest moment in F1 was. First, he said it was his first-ever podium finish, a P3 at the season opener in Spielberg back in 2020. He admitted that it was the proudest and the best.
Next, however, he spoke about another moment that he ranks right up there as his proudest. It was the 1-2 finish for McLaren back in Monza.
“The one-two that we had in Monza for McLaren. Like there’s a team thing, that probably meant even more.”, stated the #4 driver.
This comes even though Norris wanted to push for victory against Ricciardo that afternoon at the ‘Temple of Speed’. He seemed more than capable of giving the Aussie a run for his money, but the Woking-based outfit ordered him to hold position.
Since then, Norris had some moments where he looked like he could win, but he always fell short of it. The immediate race after Monza, in Sochi, was probably his best chance of winning a Grand Prix. However, due to his judgment error in rainy conditions, he dropped the victory. Will 2024 finally be Norris’ year to claim his elusive maiden win?
Chances of Lando Norris getting a race win in 2024
Towards the end of 2023, McLaren showed how good they were in terms of performance and development. At times, they were even the second-fastest team on the grid behind the ever-dominant Red Bull. This has given the team, and Norris hope that McLaren can compete for wins in 2024.
Of course, it will be difficult to be a regular contender if Red Bull continues being as strong as they were. But Norris will finally look to show his worth when he has a race-winning car underneath him.
On the other hand is his talented teammate Oscar Piastri who replaced Ricciardo at the start of 2023. Piastri made it clear that he wasn’t going to be pushed around in F1 and already got a couple of podium places and a sprint win to his name. Norris can certainly challenge for wins (provided he has a competitive car), but he has to be wary of his Melbourne-born driver teammate as well.
