Stella counters Norris: Commitment to ‘last millisecond’ unchanged

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McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has contradicted Lando Norris’ claim that his motivation to find "extra thousandths" of a second has intensified now that his team is fighting for race wins.

The Woking-based outfit has continued to ramp up its performance this season, a progress that helped Norris deliver a remarkable race win to the team in Miami, while the Briton and teammate Oscar Piastri were also in the hunt for glory at Imola, Monaco and last time out in Canada.

Norris recently stated that McLaren’s newfound status as a genuine contender for victory hadn’t changed his approach or mindset.

However, he did admit to feeling an extra sense of excitement and motivation that now make him more inclined to go all-in and extract every last bit of performance from himself and his car.

But Stella doesn’t entirely share his driver’s view and suggests Norris is now taking a more measured approach compared to the past.

Read also: Norris fears 2026 changes will reopen 'big gaps' in F1

"No, I would say I don't notice that his commitment to going for the last millisecond has changed at all," the McLaren chief told the media, quoted by RacingNews365.

"If anything, actually, I would observe this has changed in the opposite direction.

“Like last year, if anything, in some of the qualifying sessions, we were kind of pushing too hard when there wasn't necessarily the need to do so.

"I'm thinking of Mexico, for instance, in Q1, where we lost the lap when we could have gone through Q1 with just driving around on a new set of softs. So I do not necessarily see this kind of difference."

However, Stella underscored Norris’ continued meticulous approach and the 24-year-old’s “great ethos”.

“I do see Lando being very concentrated, very focused, somehow recalling what I said before about reviewing every event, taking all the opportunities to keep developing," he added.

“So that's a great ethos that Lando shows, which is an example for all the team.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.