Norris impresses team boss: 'He's clearly taken the next step'

The next step

Norris qualified seventh, just behind teammate Daniel Ricciardo, but managed to work his way to the front early in the race. " I think we saw throughout the weekend, especially in qualifying and the race, that Lando has taken the next step," said Seidl on Motorsport.com. "It's something we should expect from a young driver, especially in his first years, to make these steps. This is how you become a top driver in this sport."

Controlled race

According to Seidl, Norris' controlled race was especially great to watch. "He pushed when he needed to push and he controlled the race when he was in a position to control it. I think the tyre management today was sensational. He was in complete control and that was obviously great to see."

As such, Norris has accumulated quite a bit of experience by now, and it shows."When I look at the way he works with his engineers, how he communicates during practice, during qualifying, during the race, under stress, you just see that he was building up the experience and the confidence over the last two years," the German explained.

Third place for McLaren

At the end of the first race, McLaren is in the place where it finished last season. The third spot in the championship. "I'm very happy with what the team performed this weekend because I think the hard work everyone put in over the winter paid off. It confirms again that we have made a good step forward with the car."