'Verstappen has set a new standard for consistent performance'

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella predicts Lando Norris' true potential is yet to come out. The 24-year-old Briton is still in the hunt for that long-awaited victory, which Stella is sure is coming.

'Verstappen has set a new standard'

Stella stresses that Norris' full potential is still "almost undiscovered", although the McLaren driver has shown impressive performances before. "But consistency in this kind of delivery is what makes the difference. And I think that Max [Verstappen] is really establishing new standards in terms of how consistently you can perform strongly," the team boss said in conversation with Motorsport.com.

A Formula 1 win is still on the to-do list for Norris, although he came close a few times. Stella stresses that that first Grand Prix win is very important for a driver, as it provides a big boost in self-confidence. However, he adds that the team did not put Norris in a position to take that first F1 win to himself.

The 52-year-old Italian assures that Norris is all set for that first win, but that the important thing now is to actually make the result possible. "It would be an incredible result considering what we saw last year with Red Bull," Stella added. Carlos Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023.