McLaren defends Norris after Australia race performance

McLaren sporting director Gil de Ferran has come to the defence of rookie driver Lando Norris after a very promising qualifying performance did not translate to a points finish for the British driver.

Norris had been one of the stars of qualifying having hauled his McLaren Renault into Q3 and ending the session in eighth place.

Despite a strong starting position, Norris' race was not a repeat of Saturday's heroics, instead, he finished out of the points in 12th.

Having been stuck behind the struggling Antonio Giovinazzi midway through the race, Norris was jumped by those who had delayed their only pit stop.

It meant Lance Stroll and Daniil Kvyat were able to leapfrog the McLaren into the points while the Italian continued on in his damaged Alfa Romeo, holding up Norris.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on points, de Ferran defended his driver and was optimistic about his future performances.

“Listen, it’s his first grand prix,” he explained to Autosport.

“That ability to be self-critical and open-minded, in my summation, is something that’s going to serve him well.”