Lando Norris heartbreak "will make him and McLaren stronger" - Andrea Seidl

Norris, McLaren, Russia — Photo: © LAT Images

Russian Grand Prix

Norris heartbreak "will make him and McLaren stronger" - Seidl

Norris missed his chance of a maiden F1 victory in Russia

Sam Hall

Tuesday 28 September 2021 11:40

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl believes Lando Norris' "big disappointment" in Russia will "make him and the team stronger".

After passing former team-mate Carlos Sainz for the lead, Norris looked comfortable at the front even with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton chasing late on.

Norris then gambled by staying out as rain started to fall, and with McLaren failing to overrule its driver, the Briton's hopes of a maiden F1 win disappeared.

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Seidl, however, is confident the young Briton will bounce back. He said: “I think it will make him and the team stronger because it is these moments where we learn the most.

"As a team, it is always easy if everything goes to plan but a moment like this is a big disappointment and an opportunity to learn in order to do it better as a team, together with Lando, next time around.

“He is long enough in the sport. It is not different in the junior categories where it is part of the sport that things like this happen, big disappointments, especially when you are so close to something really big.

“But I think he has enough experience, and the team as well, to come back out of this even stronger.”

Seidl insists McLaren had "permanent dialogue" with Norris

In contrast to Norris, Hamilton pitted a lap earlier and went on to win his historic 100th grand prix, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen had made a quicker switch than his title rival and leapfrogged from seventh to second by the chequered flag after starting 20th.

Insisting Norris and McLaren continually kept each other informed, Seidl added: "The driver has very limited information, that is why he can only feedback what he feels on track, which he did.

"But at the same time, if we have firm information that it simply doesn’t make sense to stay out, we always have the possibility to overrule.

“It was a permanent dialogue with Lando and in the end, we made this decision together. In principles like that, if we tell Lando to box firmly, he will box.”