McLaren tell Lando Norris to embrace the ‘discomfort’ with Oscar Piastri

McLaren have had a resurgence during the 2023 Formula 1 season. They are now the second-fastest team behind Red Bull. Both their drivers are firing, and they got double podiums in the last 2 races. However, at the Qatar GP, rookie Oscar Piastri outshone Lando Norris throughout the weekend. In the process, Oscar Piastri even took a sprint race win before Lando. McLaren Boss Andrea Stella feels Lando Norris could do well by channeling his discomfort.

Pushed more by Oscar

Lando Norris has openly admitted that Oscar Piastri is pushing him more than Daniel Ricciardo ever did in his two years at McLaren. However, even he couldn’t have imagined the rookie getting a Formula 1 win before he did. Yes, it was just a sprint race victory at the Qatar GP, but it still should’ve been Lando.

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After the Qatar GP, the McLaren star told SkySports, “I think of the negative things way more than the positive things. It’s just me, it’s not like [it’s] a problem. It’s just the way I think, it’s the way my head works.”

“I’m very happy for the team, I’m happy for Oscar. He beat me to a win so congrats to him. Of course, it’s never the nicest feeling. It hurts me.”

Nico Rosberg has said he was going to reach out to Lando Norris on the back of Landos’ comments after a disappointing qualifying at the #QatarGP:

“I wanted to write to Lando and wanted to say: ‘One thing is thinking you’re not good enough…”#F1 #Formula1 #McLaren #USGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TjtsQbJasO

— McLaren F1 Updates 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇦🇺 (@TheMcLarenZone) October 17, 2023

“It’s the discomfort you need”

McLaren Boss Andrea Stella used to be a performance engineer in his Ferrari days. He knows how to win, and he knows how to harness that competitive spirit in Formula 1. Having seen Michael Schumacher in his prime, he has some wise words for Lando Norris.

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The McLaren boss said, “If you are a champion like Lando is, you will have to take that from a positive point of view because he gives you so much information to keep improving.”

“There’s no champion in the world in any sport that wins everything, or as a driver is faster in every corner, faster every lap, and faster every session.”

“So for me, Lando sees this as a bit of discomfort, but it’s the discomfort you need to become the best in a way. It’s a curse and blessing to be a champion.”