Andrea Stella praises Lando Norris’s development, believing that his emotional control and maturity played a decisive role in his victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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After a difficult start to the season, Lando Norris seems to have regained all his sensations. Winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the reigning world champion gave McLaren its first success of the season. For Andrea Stella, this performance is no accident: it is the result of steady progress, both on a personal and sporting level.
The McLaren director believes that the Briton has grown a lot since the more delicate period experienced during the first part of the previous season. According to him, Norris was able to learn from the difficult moments rather than suffer them.
Stella explains that he was particularly impressed by the way his driver reacted to the ups and downs encountered during this period. Rather than looking for excuses, Norris accepted to question certain aspects of his approach in order to continue progressing.
“I was very impressed by how Lando reacted after the first third of last season. There were highs, lows, difficulties, and many lessons to be learned. He took on this challenge with a lot of seriousness.”
The head of the British team points out that this work was not limited to driving. Norris also sought to improve personally, surrounded by his engineers and trusted team.
“He first worked on himself. With his group of engineers and all his entourage, significant development work was done, both personally and in driving.”
Hungary, a perfect illustration of this maturity
The Hungarian Grand Prix provided a concrete example of this evolution. For a good part of the race, Norris was stuck behind his teammate Oscar Piastri. Despite a visibly superior pace, he never let frustration take over.
Stella believes that this emotional management was decisive in the outcome of the race. Instead of forcing a risky attack or losing concentration, the McLaren driver remained patient, waiting for the strategy to work in his favor.
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“What we saw in Hungary is simply the continuation of this progress. Lando is now much more confident.”
The Italian manager adds that his driver now masters much better the tools he has at the wheel, but also his own reactions to delicate situations.
“He knows much better the qualities of his driving, he knows when to use them and he controls his emotions much better.”
A victory built through patience
During the first half of the event, Norris repeatedly signaled to his team that he had a better pace than Piastri. Yet, he never let this situation affect his clarity.
For Stella, this ability to stay calm ultimately made all the difference. By keeping his composure, Norris was able to fully exploit his advantage when the opportunity arose, which allowed him to take the lead of the race before heading to victory.
“When he was behind Oscar, he told us several times that he had more pace, but he never lost his calm. It is precisely this control that allowed him to use his pace at the right moment and win the race. We witnessed a very nice progression from Lando.”
This victory could thus mark a turning point for McLaren. After a difficult start to the season, the British team seems to have regained competitiveness thanks to its latest technical developments. If this momentum continues after the summer break, Norris could well become a regular contender for victories in the second half of the championship.
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