Lando Norris’ Achilles’ Heel – Slow Starts Costing Him Valuable Points
As the 2024 Formula 1 season hurtles towards its business end, Lando Norris’ inconsistent starts have become a major concern for the McLaren driver. Despite showcasing impressive moments on the track, his approach to starts has been a significant weakness, resulting in the loss of at least two potential race wins into the first corner.
Notable instances of Norris’ inauspicious starts include the Spanish and Hungarian Grands Prix, where he attempted to outmaneuver Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, respectively, but ultimately came up short. In the Belgian Grand Prix, Norris drifted wide on the exit of La Source, brushing the gravel and losing momentum, which saw him drop to seventh. Additionally, he was outdragged by Lewis Hamilton in the Chinese sprint race, compromising his chances of defending his position.
“I’ve given away a lot of points over the last three, four races just because of stupid stuff, mistakes and bad starts – Turn 1 now,” he reflected after the Belgian Grand Prix. “I think I just need to reset.”
Norris’ approach to starts has led to a self-fulfilling feedback loop, where instances of the same mistakes start to give rise to the internal narrative of: “I make this mistake, therefore I’m probably going to make it again”. This psychological barrier has proven difficult to overcome, and Norris will need to find a way to break through it to regain confidence in his starts.
Collaboration for Improvement
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella emphasized the importance of collaboration between the team and drivers to identify areas for improvement. “We work with Lando, like we work with Oscar, to try and see all the opportunities in which we can improve individually, but also collaborate better,” Stella said. “It definitely gives us some elements to analyze as to how some of these missed opportunities manifest themselves.”
Norris has demonstrated his ability to start well in the past, including his opening moves at the 2023 British Grand Prix and his sweep around Oscar Piastri to move up to second at Suzuka. However, this season, he has struggled to regain his form, failing to make up a single position off the line.
With the summer break providing a much-needed respite, Norris and McLaren will need to regroup and find a solution to this problem if they harbor any hopes of winning a championship. A strong start to the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort could be the catalyst for Norris to regain his confidence and turn his season around.
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