McLaren launches fierce Lando Norris defence with world champion example

McLaren boss Andrea Stella has launched a fierce defence of Lando Norris's mental approach after his troubled Bahrain Grand Prix.

After fumbling his Q3 lap in qualifying, Norris branded himself as "clueless", and was hit with a further penalty in the race for being out of position in his grid box, and then also had to cede position to Lewis Hamilton for overtaking the Ferrari off the track. 

Norris ultimately finished third, as he explained he is just not clicking with the MCL39, despite team-mate Oscar Piastri dominating from pole for an easy win. 

Norris is one of the more publicly self-critical drivers on the grid, but McLaren team principal Stella, who has worked with the likes of Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, and Jenson Button, is a firm supporter of Norris's frank approach. 

"I have seen various multiple world champions where when they would like to do something with the car, but the car doesn't do exactly what they like, that they are not completely comfortable," Stella told media including RacingNews365.

"It is an uncomfortable situation, but the way Lando is navigating through this situation is the same as other champions in the past, if anything, Lando is more stylistic, like when you hear the post-qualifying interview, it is quite self-critical.”

Stella voiced his appreciation of Norris not looking to blame the team for a difficult weekend.

"I know some other champions in the past would be more: 'The problem is somewhere else', but there is something important here,” Stella added.

"Something I admire of Lando, and which makes me very privileged and lucky as a team principal is that he tends to absolve and point the blame on himself, like he didn't put the lap together [in qualifying], and he raises his hand, [taking the blame] off the team, saying: 'It was not your problem, it was me.'

"But that was inaccurate as we made some changes to the car which made Lando's life a bit more difficult. 

"But there are some drivers that as soon as there is a problem, the finger is going at the team and this is not healthy.

"This is not something on which you can build and when we judge a driver, we should be considering these aspects, and certainly for me as the team principal, they are important to keep building.

"Otherwise you introduce internal conflict and you don't use the potential because all of your energy goes into internal fighting against the team and pressures of the race rather than just focusing on performance."