Stella: The fight with Hamilton cost Norris the podium

Stella: The fight with Hamilton cost Norris the podium

      Lando Norris finished fourth in Jeddah, losing just a second to Charles Leclair. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes that if Lando had not lost the three laps it took him to overtake Lewis Hamilton in the first half of the race, he would have been able to finish on the podium.

      Andrea Stella: "Lando shouldn't have lost time behind Lewis to finish on the podium. But Lewis Hamilton is Lewis Hamilton. He knows very well how to fight on the track, and for several laps he counterattacked Lando and regained position. I think it cost us time, which, in the end, was not enough to try to overtake Leclair.

      But at the same time, Leclair and Ferrari proved to be very fast, so their first podium of the season is well deserved, given their pace, especially at the end of the first leg. It was very impressive – we didn't think it was possible to attack on Medium tires like that. On the other hand, it gave us confidence that Lando would have a strong finish to the race. And so it turned out.

      The tires did not have any serious degradation, which allowed Lando to overtake George Russell. Overall, Hamilton's lost time and Leclair's high pace meant that Lando was unable to reach the podium.

      But he played well and scored important points in the championship. Besides, this kind of race is important for Lando's morale."

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Stella: The fight with Hamilton cost Norris the podium

Lando Norris finished fourth in Jeddah, losing just a second to Charles Leclair. Andrea Stella believes that if Lando had not lost the three laps it took him to overtake Lewis Hamilton in the first half of the race, he would have been able to finish on the podium.