6 hours ago
3
Lando Norris is in a strong position to follow his victory at the Austrian Grand Prix with a debut win at the British GP this weekend, according to his McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, who praised his British driver’s character and resilience after a commanding drive at the Red Bull Ring saw off a fierce pursuit by teammate Oscar Piastri.
Norris won in Spielberg after a tense, lights-to-flag fight with Piastri, the pair in almost constant competition across the 70 laps. Norris held his nerve with great control and has now closed to within 15 points of the Australian in the title fight which, with McLaren so dominant, looks set to be a two-horse race between the teammates.
Norris has never won his home GP nor taken back-to-back victories in the same season but is well placed to achieve both milestones next weekend, according to Stella.
“The most important thing is that the back-to-back victory is for McLaren and that’s our mindset and that’s our determination going into the British GP,” he said. “In terms of Lando being able to do so, yes of course. There’s absolutely no reason why not but many reasons why yes. The talent, the quality, the race craft and even the trajectory that Lando is in.”
Norris is certainly on a roll with a strong comeback from recent adversity. At the previous round in Canada, he hit Piastri late in the race and was forced to retire, a scenario McLaren had made clear was unacceptable between teammates. They acknowledged it was a misjudgement on Norris’s part rather than recklessness and remained entirely confident in their driver and his abilities.
He came back with a mighty run at the Red Bull Ring to take pole position by half a second and then delivered an all-but-flawless race for a win that reasserted his place in the title fight.
“The speed is there and results will come, which is what Lando demonstrated in Austria,” said Stella. “So very proud of Lando, very proud of how everyone handled the situation in Canada and the fact that we ended up more united and stronger.”
Silverstone will for the first time this year host a dedicated “Landostand” for his fans, consisting of three grandstands at Stowe corner, already sold out to their 10,000 capacity. Norris goes into his home race as favourite but said he felt no additional pressure from the weight of expectation.
“It’s a place I want to win more than anywhere else but it doesn’t change anything, it just puts a bit more of a smile on my face every morning when I wake up,” he said. “It probably distracts me in a good way more than anything.
“There’s pressure in every race. There was pressure to win on Sunday, to be on pole on Saturday. I don’t think I can put myself under any more pressure. That doesn’t change anything. More just something to look forward to, to enjoy every day, enjoy every lap, enjoy the experience. Very excited for it. Kind of want to go there now, but I could do with a good sleep as well.”
