McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has spoken very positively about his driver Lando Norris. Stella has worked with several world champions in the past and believes that Norris is very similar to them. “They are in the same category,” he told Speedcafe.
Stella worked at Ferrari with big drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso and according to him there is no doubt that Norris will pursue these big names. A bold statement, considering the Brit still has zero wins after 104 races. When asked about Norris’s potential to become world champion, Stella is very clear: ‘Lando is in the same category. They have the same talent, the same way of thinking and the same work ethic.”
“When you think of champions, an important characteristic is that they get better every year,” says the Italian. ‘I think it’s because they use their intelligence and ethics. They have the best people around them.’ The sport is becoming more competitive every year and that is why, according to Stella, a true champion wants to ensure that he gets better and better every year.
Norris has the talent to become world champion
The team boss believes that Norris has often shown that he has the right talent to become world champion. However, McLaren was unable to give him the right car to actually realize this potential. At the end of the 2023 season they came closer and Norris managed to cross the finish line in second place six times.
‘We have the raw material, we already saw that when Lando rode a free practice for us in Belgium. We saw the potential in 2018 and it has only grown since then,” Stella continues. “We have to continue to grow every year as any champion does, but we are extremely happy with Lando in this area.”
