‘Psychological present’ for mechanics missed by Lando Norris
“It’s hard but if you can present the car to the boys..."
Lando Norris’ mechanics were unable to receive a “psychological present” from him when he overshot his pit stop at the F1 British Grand Prix, he has been told.
McLaren’s Norris was left visibly emotional at an inability to convert a promising lead into victory at his home race.
A slow pit stop, then a tyre strategy which did not pay off, opened the door for Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to win instead.
Ex-F1 driver Mark Webber told Channel 4: “The race did ebb and flow. You got your confidence up… the next moment you are going back towards people.
“He will be disappointed with the tyre decision and going long in the box.
“It’s hard but if you can present the car to the boys, that’s the first big psychological present for them - under pressure at the British “Grand Prix - to do the best job for him.
“When you steam through it’s really challenging. He was on the back foot, then.
“He will reflect on that. And he will, because he’s world class.”
Channel 4’s Lee McKenzie added: “We are all realistic. He should have won, or at least been second. He should have won in Austria.
“I feel his disappointment. I’m sure McLaren feel disappointed. I can’t work out why they didn’t double stack, maybe they did not have the confidence.
“He should have won that race.”
Norris offered a devastated analysis post-race at Silverstone, after being limited to third: "We threw it away in the final stop.
"So, one lap, but also I don’t think it was a lap. I think even if I boxed on the perfect lap, our decision to go on to the softs was the wrong one.
“I think Lewis still would have won no matter what. So, two calls from our side cost us everything today. So, pretty, especially here, pretty disappointing.”
