After a disappointing start to the season’s first nine races, Lando Norris and McLaren orchestrated an impressive midseason revival. However, despite their determination, the Woking team fell short of securing a win on Sundays against Max Verstappen and his team. Nevertheless, Norris remains hopeful about the team’s future, expecting substantial advancements with new additions to close the gap in upcoming seasons.
In a recent interview with Speedcafe, Lando Norris discussed how McLaren’s accumulated knowledge from the past five to six months will provide a foundation for new team members. He then stressed that the insights gained would help enhance their understanding of the team and help reduce the gap with Red Bull.
Norris said, “We have some new hires, guys coming in ’24. Maybe not everything they can bring to us we will have on the car straight away.”
Norris delved into the team’s journey, recognizing a difficult start in 2023 that ultimately transformed into a remarkable midseason comeback. Considering that, he said, “If you go back to Bahrain (first race of the year), looking ahead, I was dreading the season. So to come away with seven podiums (personally) they were definitely not expected.”
Subsequently, the McLaren driver highlighted the team’s remarkable progress, noting that they achieved a record-breaking feat. Norris said, “I’ve got to thank the team for all of that, a world record pitstop (1.80secs in Qatar), and all of those things.”
Norris’s comments highlight how much the Woking team clawed back the huge deficit to RBR. In Austin, Qatar, and Brazil, the MCL60 showed impressive pace, underscoring the hope for 2024.
Following an impressive season finish, Lando Norris commends McLaren
McLaren acknowledged early in the season that they had encountered difficulties in their development process, which hurt their performance initially. However, a crucial turning point occurred with significant upgrades to the car’s floor introduced during the Austrian GP.
The team successfully navigated through all the challenges, securing a commendable fourth place in the constructors’ championship. However, it’s worth highlighting that the team’s driver, Lando Norris also concluded the season at a respectable fifth position.
Given his outstanding performance, Norris won the prestigious Lorenzo Bandini Trophy. This special award is given to just one driver, and that driver is not eligible to be nominated again after they have won it. This is carried out to guarantee equality when honoring young and up-and-coming talents in sports.
Acknowledging the team’s extraordinary journey in 2023, the Woking-based squad’s success owes much to the dynamic leadership of Team Boss Andrea Stella. Norris has recently expressed admiration for his team’s boss.
In a recent conversation with Autosport, the 24-year-old said, ” 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.”
However, in a season where everything fell into place for Norris, it was his fellow teammate who provided strong competition. Particularly, in his rookie year, Oscar Piastri has consistently challenged and tested Norris’s capabilities. Therefore, Norris will undoubtedly be eager to outperform the Australian in the forthcoming season.
