McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl believes Lando Norris will be "stronger" in the future following his near-miss win at the Russian Grand Prix. Norris was on course for victory, holding off Lewis Hamilton in the second half of the race, but rain fell with five laps to go and caused mayhem. Hamilton was ordered by Mercedes to pit for Intermediates and did so, having initially ignored the call. Norris thought it was best to continue, which turned out to be the wrong decision, as parts of the track were hit with torrential rain. A "devastated" Norris tumbled down the order and eventually finished in seventh place. "I think it will we make him and the team stronger because it's these moments where you learn the most as a team," Seidl told RacingNews365.com and other select members of the press. "It's always easier if everything goes to plan. A moment like this is a big disappointment, but an opportunity to learn and to do better as a team together with Lando next time around. "He's been long enough in the sport [motorsport]. It's no different from junior categories where things like this happen and there are big disappointments, especially when he was so close to something really big. "But I think he has enough experience, and the team as well, in order to come back out of this even stronger." Norris also took his maiden F1 pole position on Saturday and fought back to retake the lead after initially being overtaken by Carlos Sainz at the start. He hardly put a foot wrong until the final five laps. RacingNews365.com asked Seidl what McLaren could have done with hindsight and what would have happened if Norris made the right call to pit. "I'm a guy that is not wasting energy with could have, should have," said Seidl. "You have to look at the facts, do an analysis on what we could have done better, and then you reset and go again. "I'm not wasting any time thinking about what's possible, for example, to win his first race. He's disappointed, we're disappointed with the outcome of the race, with the last three laps. But frustration, disappointment, that doesn't move you forward."
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