Andrea Stella could not hide his admiration. Lando Norris had just snatched pole position in the dying seconds of Q3 for the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, and for a man who has watched telemetry at 450 grands prix, that moment felt special.
Norris looked out of contention. But he surged just before the yellow flags could wave. The result? Pole position by the narrowest of margins, leaving rivals and spectators stunned. It was proof that the McLaren driver never gives up, even when the odds seem stacked against him.
Stella, a veteran of the paddock, called the lap one of the most impressive he has ever seen. "I would say that for the risk he took following such an incredible lap, he was almost lenient on himself," he told media, including Motorsport Week. "But Lando has developed a lot of emotional racing resilience, and he is able to access the best of his potential more regularly, and he's able at times to elevate the game to a further level."
According to Stella, what made the lap even more remarkable was the fact that Norris lost three-and-a-half tenths in the last corner. "The most impressive thing is that it was pole position, despite having lost three-and-a-half tenths in the last corner, which means it could have been a pretty convincing pole position," he added. Imagine if Norris had not lost time in the final sector— the gap to his rivals might have been even larger.
Stella then claimed that Norris is pushing to a new level, with telemetry data backing up his statement. "At the same time, it was a consequence of pushing to the level that Lando managed to push to, and when you look at the telemetry, it is the precision, the braking, the speed carried on entry, the striking of the kerb, the going on power," he explained. "Everything was executed with a pretty unique level of precision, and for me, the main attribute that would be associated with this lap was just incredible precision in the metre-by-metre execution. I think Lando offered one of the best performances of his career."
Stella's praise is significant, but it will do little to quell the disappointment at McLaren after losing the Spanish Grand Prix under circumstances beyond their control. An ill-timed Virtual Safety Car ruined Norris's victory chances, and he had to settle for third place.
Nevertheless, Norris's qualifying performance at least offers hope. If he can maintain that level, it might not be long before he is fighting for wins again. And for McLaren, having a driver capable of delivering at the highest level is a valuable asset.
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