McLaren’s meteoric rise to the top of the Constructors’ Championship and Lando Norris’s improbable title challenge in 2024 might have roots in a bittersweet moment at this year’s British Grand Prix.
Norris has admitted that the heartbreak of losing a home victory at Silverstone became the catalyst for McLaren to elevate their game across the board.
A Crucial Turning Point at Silverstone
Norris had looked poised to claim a career-defining win on home soil, only to see his lead evaporate after a late strategic gamble on slick tires allowed Lewis Hamilton to snatch victory. Max Verstappen also capitalized, leaving Norris to settle for third in front of a crestfallen crowd.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Norris shared how the disappointment served as a wake-up call for the entire McLaren organization:
“Probably Silverstone being the main one that I think didn’t go our way, it should have done. I think we look back on that with a bit of regret that we didn’t end up in better positions than where we ended up in.”
The pain of that near-miss galvanized the team, with renewed determination rippling through the ranks-from the drivers and pit crew to the engineers and factory staff.
“Almost since Silverstone, probably more so, there was quite a renewed focus from everyone… we’re back in a position that we’ve worked very, very hard to be in, which is fighting for the championship,” Norris revealed.
Title Chase: A Dream Season or a Missed Opportunity?
Despite McLaren’s remarkable consistency and Norris’s first Formula 1 victory in Miami earlier this season, the Briton now trails Verstappen by 62 points with just three races to go. A disastrous outing in Brazil allowed Verstappen to tighten his grip on a fourth consecutive title.
While the odds are slim, Norris remains proud of the journey and insists that missing out on the championship doesn’t detract from McLaren’s breakthrough season:
“I think that’s how early we realized this could be a year that things can start to go quite well for us. I’m loving it. It’s definitely more enjoyable when you’re fighting for wins and for a championship.”
Adjusting to the Big Leagues
Norris, who has spent his entire F1 career with McLaren, admitted that competing at the sharp end of the grid still feels surreal:
“I think I’m always going to find it odd… I still feel like it wasn’t that long ago that I was watching it on TV and I was watching Fernando, Lewis, Jenson, all of these guys.”
With McLaren delivering a car capable of challenging Red Bull in 2024, Norris’s maturity and focus have been critical. He now relishes the added pressure and has embraced the responsibility of leading McLaren’s title charge.
Looking Ahead
While Verstappen remains the favorite to seal the Drivers’ Championship, Norris’s focus has shifted to finishing the season on a high. With McLaren now firmly back in the fight for glory, Silverstone may go down not as a regret but as the moment that reignited one of F1’s most historic teams.
