McLaren Boss Explains Why Lando Norris Failed to Lead After Starting From Pole Position

Lando Norris has been under scrutiny for his poor starts off the line that eventually cost him the opportunity at race wins. The most recent example was the Italian GP. However, the Briton has improved in the last couple of races. McLaren boss Andrea Stella revealed the reason behind Norris’ poor starts.

Before the 2024 Dutch GP, Norris failed to convert any of his pole positions into wins. The Briton didn’t lead the first lap at any point this season when he started on pole. He failed to maintain his position into turn 1 on most occasions and lost positions to Piastri and Leclerc in turns 4 & 5 in Monza.

Lando Norris’ successful start from pole at the #SingaporeGP appears to have dispelled his first-lap curse, although McLaren boss Andrea Stella says there was no clear issue after analysis ⬇️https://t.co/epXDt9h6zU

— Autosport (@autosport) September 26, 2024

Singapore was Norris‘ first dominant race from pole position where the Briton led every lap from the start to the end. Stella revealed how the team worked super hard along with Norris to improve the start. He mentioned that the poor starts weren’t only down to Norris, but because of a few errors made by the team.

As per Autosport, Stella said, “There were some opportunities in terms of execution of the start, but we recognize that that was also on the team side.” He added, “So, I think while at first value, it looked like Lando had a significant opportunity there. Actually, the facts weren’t so clear.”

Stella explained how Russell would’ve gotten past Norris in Spain irrespective of his good or bad start. On the other hand, he pointed at an error at the Dutch GP where “both cars had cold tires because of an issue from a team point of view”, resulting in a poor getaway for Piastri and Norris.

The McLaren team boss explained how Norris focused on starting from pole and gained confidence and familiarity with it. As he did, the Brit started, “understanding, even in terms of territorial defense, what you need to do, even to dissuade people from going [for the lead].”

Similarly, Norris faced a lot of criticism for not winning a single race in F1 but it all changed this year at Miami. The Brit learned from his mistakes, and since Miami, has won multiple races.