Despite Max Verstappen winning his sixth race of the 2024 season in Montreal, the Canadian GP was not a dull affair. Several drivers were in the mix, including McLaren’s Lando Norris. According to the Woking-based outfit’s Team Principal Andrea Stella, Norris could have won the Grand Prix, had it not been for one costly error.
In the post-race interview, Stella compared the Canadian GP to the Miami GP, which Norris won last month. This time, however, the safety car which came out didn’t help the British driver. “He was 2 seconds faster than everyone,” said Stella. “He was late at the last corner. And that meant we took the pitstop on the second lap around and lost the position.”
Andrea Stella: We could have won. Certainly like it played to us in Miami, and the Safety Car didn’t help. He was 2 seconds faster than everyone. He was late at the last corner and that meant we took the pitstop on the second lap around and lost the position.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) June 9, 2024
Stella and Co. decided against having Norris pit for new tires because they thought he didn’t have time to catch the safety car. As such, he had to pit in later, thus giving up his lead to Max Verstappen.
Norris certainly had the pace at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday. He retook the lead once again, but that was until the track started drying up. Verstappen and the rest of the drivers pitted for slick tires, but McLaren left Norris out for two more laps on the intermediates.
This time, after he came out behind the Dutchman, he couldn’t pass him again. As such, the 24-year-old had to settle for P2.
Lando Norris unhappy with McLaren
Like Stella, Norris too knew he could have won the Canadian GP last Sunday. He openly called out the team’s strategists for not making the call to pit at the right time. And before the team heads to Spain, he wants to talk to them and understand what went wrong.
Navigating the chaos of the #CanadianGP.
Strong drive in the spray from Lando and Oscar to deliver a podium and plenty of points! pic.twitter.com/Jg1A02YKGf
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 9, 2024
At the same time, he doesn’t echo Stella’s comparisons between Miami and Canada. “We didn’t do a good job [or] a good enough job as a team to box when we should have done and not get stuck behind the safety car so I don’t think it was a lucky or unlucky, I don’t think it was the same as Miami.”
The good news, however, is the change in mentality. Ever since they won in Miami, Norris understands that the demands within the stable have changed. They now expect to win as many races as possible, and don’t count P2 as satisfying a result as before.
