Andrea Stella on Lando Norris: The racing gods weren’t on our side

What a bitter Spanish Grand Prix for Lando Norris and his McLaren team! The Briton had surprisingly secured pole position on Saturday with a fabulous lap. In Sunday’s race, he managed to hold onto his lead at the start. It all looked set to be a successful end to the weekend – until Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) came to a halt at Turn 20 on Lap 14, triggering a yellow flag. A virtual safety car period was introduced one lap later to recover the car.

Norris fell victim to the VSC

And this is where the decisive turning point came for Norris: his rivals Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) quickly pulled in for a pit stop. Antonelli reacted particularly quickly, entering the long Madring pit lane almost as soon as the VSC began. Lando Norris had just missed that window and didn’t come in until a lap later, just as the VSC was ending. So he no longer enjoyed the time advantage. Furthermore, there was a problem with the front-right tyre during the change. At seven seconds, the stop took just under five seconds longer than usual. Norris came out in fifth place.

By the end of the race, he still managed to secure third place and a podium finish. Did Norris and McLaren throw away the win? Even Mercedes driver and winner Kimi Antonelli had to admit after the race: ‘Actually, Norris deserved the win.’

Stella: Norris was the fastest driver

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said after the race: “It’s a day of mixed emotions, but we’re leaving with our heads held high and a smile on our faces. Lando was the fastest driver on the track and would have absolutely deserved the win. Our pace was phenomenal, especially on a circuit where we hadn’t expected to be so strong.” McLaren had struggled in practice, particularly on Friday.

Stella: “Unfortunately, factors completely beyond our control – in particular the timing of the virtual safety car – cost us the win. We explored all options, but the circumstances left us with no viable alternative strategy. It’s frustrating when you have the performance to win and the racing gods aren’t on your side, but we’re taking it in our stride.”

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Racing builds confidence

The Italian engineer is trying to look on the bright side: “The positive thing is the clear proof that our car is competitive and can keep up with the front-runners. The team did an excellent job throughout the weekend to reach this level of performance, and that gives us great confidence for the upcoming races. We’re closing the gap in the World Championship and have shown that we can be a threat on race day.”