Lando Norris boosted after managing to keep his P1 starting from pole position

The curse has finally been broken for Lando Norris. The McLaren driver had encountered difficulties at the start every time he was in pole position, so much so that he had never made it past the first lap in the lead since starting from the front of the grid. After the race in Spa, Norris himself had mentioned this situation: “I have lost a lot of points in the last three or four races because of stupid things, errors and bad starts, or today at the first corner.”

A series of bad starts that have followed one another

Despite all his qualities, which make him a driver capable of winning races and perhaps titles, Lando Norris seems to have one weakness: his starts. Before the Singapore Grand Prix, he had secured pole position five times, but he never managed to maintain the lead beyond the first lap. In the sprint race in China, he tried to gain an advantage over Lewis Hamilton on the outside, but on a wet track, he deviated from the ideal racing line, losing several positions. In Spain, when trying to resist Verstappen on the inside, he saw George Russell overtake both drivers on the outside of the first corner.

In Hungary, it was his teammate Oscar Piastri who had overtaken him at the first turn before going on to win. At Zandvoort, although Norris had been passed by Verstappen at the first turn, he had managed to regain the advantage to win the race. During the following Grand Prix, he had led the first turn for the first time but had then lost two positions, first to Piastri at turn 4 and then to Leclerc’s Ferrari before turn 5. He had held on to this third place until the finish. Norris has lost a lot of points this season, crucial points in the title race. However, at Marina Bay, this issue seems to have been resolved.

An unlucky streak in several departures

Once again in pole position, the McLaren driver brilliantly maintained his first place despite the pressure from Verstappen and Hamilton, and then went on to win the race comfortably with over 20 seconds ahead of the Dutch driver. However, for Andrea Stella, Norris did not change his way of taking the starts, and it was rather bad luck than a real concern to be urgently addressed. « I do not deny that apparently, the starts and the approach to the first corner could seem like an opportunity for Lando. But, after doing a little analysis as a group, including with Lando, we reviewed every start and every first lap of the season. And to be fair, even when Lando was in pole position but not leading after the first lap, it was not really due to a loss of performance. »

The team boss explained that McLaren had analyzed all of Norris’ starts since the beginning of the season and that the Briton had never really missed his takeoff. However, external circumstances had sometimes made things more complicated for the winner of Zandvoort. « We reviewed Barcelona and thought that Russell would have taken the lead even if Lando had tried something different. There were opportunities in terms of executing the start, but we also acknowledge that it was partly the team’s responsibility. In Zandvoort, for example, both cars had cold tires due to a team issue, and both started poorly. So even though it seemed like a great opportunity for Lando, the facts are not as simple. »

A lack of experience at the forefront that is being corrected

Andrea Stella also highlighted that Norris’ lack of experience in leading a race had probably led him to be more cautious at the start than other drivers. But he noted a gradual improvement in this area, reflecting the work Norris is doing with his team to improve his starts. « We focus on executing the start and preparing the tires. Lando himself, as well as the time we dedicate to preparation during a weekend, is now more focused. We are gaining confidence and familiarity with pole position. »

McLaren is getting used to fighting at the front, a situation it had not experienced in a decade. A new status enthusiastically accepted by the British team. I think it’s part of the journey, and it’s a good thing that we have these kinds of opportunities to manage now. Now leading the constructors’ championship, with a 41-point lead over Red Bull, McLaren hopes to take advantage of this experience to make good starts, win races and aim for the championships at the end of the season.