McLaren boss jumps to defend 'unique' Norris as he navigates 'uncomfortable situation'

After the Bahrain Grand Prix, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was full of praise for Lando Norris as the Brit appeared downbeat after securing a third-place finish.

Lando Norris has been refreshingly open about his mental health over the years. While he may seem confident and composed on the surface, interviews often reveal a more vulnerable side—one that sometimes questions his own abilities.

After four rounds, the Brit leads the championship by three points, with teammate Oscar Piastri tailing just behind after taking an impressive lights-to-flag victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Norris picked up a five-second penalty after exceeding his grid box. He recovered to third place in the race.

In Bahrain, Norris appeared disappointed in front of the media on several occasions, picking apart his own performance negatively, as he has done in the past. Despite McLaren's pure speed, Stella explained how the Brit isn't feeling too comfortable in the car. "Look, when we talk about strength in professional sport, I haven’t seen any professional athlete — especially F1 drivers — even world champions, that are completely comfortable in a situation where they want to do something with the car, but the car doesn’t do what they want," Stella responded in Bahrain to the present media including GPBlog.

McLaren’s chief executive admitted that the recent car updates may have benefitted Oscar Piastri more than Lando Norris. While Piastri seems to be adapting well to the changes, the team is actively working to find a setup that suits both drivers equally.

Stella comments on 'uncomfortable situation'

"It's an uncomfortable situation," continued the team boss. "But the way Lando is navigating through this is no different than champions I’ve seen in the past. If anything, Lando is more stylistic. He’s relatively unique in how open he is. He makes it visible. When you hear his post-qualifying interviews, he’s very self-critical. I know other champions who would be quick to blame elsewhere," the Italian explained, defending the championship leader.

Stella full of admiration for Norris

Stella admires Norris greatly, as he emphasised to the media. "There’s something important here — something I admire about Lando — that makes me feel privileged as a team principal. He tends to absorb and point the blame at himself. For example, in Q3 yesterday, he didn’t put the lap together and immediately raised his hand.

"Even when that’s not entirely accurate, because we know we made some changes to the car that made life more difficult for him."

The team principal also highlighted the closeness of the McLaren team. Despite Norris' frustration, he is not a driver who blames his squad, which helps the team continue moving forward in Stella's eyes.

"There are drivers that — as soon as there’s a problem — point the finger at the team. That’s not healthy. That’s not something you build on. When judging a driver, we should consider those aspects too. For me as a team principal, they are crucial to keep building. Otherwise, if there’s internal conflict, even with potential, you don’t use it. All your energy goes into internal fighting — drivers vs team — instead of focusing on performance," Stella concluded.

This article was written in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel

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