Lando Norris backed to use Dutch Grand Prix breakdown as fuel to get even better

Lando Norris will be better than ever after his title hopes were dented by a devastating engine failure at the Dutch Grand Prix, believes Andrea Stella.

Norris now trails team-mate Oscar Piastri by 34 points with nine rounds of the championship remaining after his engine packed in seven laps from the end of Sunday’s race.

The 25-year-old was set to come home second behind the Australian and limit Piastri’s lead to 16 points but is now left with an uphill battle to win his maiden championship.

Norris vowed to give everything he has to try and claw back the gap, with 249 points to fight for, and Stella believes the Dutch disappointment may unlock the very best from the British driver.

“If anything we may see even a better version of Lando because now is the time to extract if there is anything more, even more out of his potential,” McLaren team principal Stella said.

“So I look forward to seeing Lando in the coming races, I’m sure this is going to be a great spectacle for Formula One and if anything it’s going to make the competition with Oscar even more interesting.

“We know that his talent is immense and I’m sure this situation in the championship will give him extra motivation to try and extract it.”

Pole-sitter Piastri overcame three safety-car restarts to claim victory – his seventh of the season – at Zandvoort, where Norris was unable to really threaten his team-mate.

Norris lost out to Max Verstappen at the start before swiftly charging back past the Dutchman and McLaren looked set to clinch a record-equalling fifth successive one-two finish.

But the enduring image of the weekend will be Norris sat on the bank by the side of the track with his head between his legs after his late engine failure.

“It looks like a technical reliability problem, which is always disappointing,” Stella added.

“But I would say that is even more inconvenient because it affects a situation in which we as a team we wanted to stay as neutral as possible in what is the drivers’ individual quest in the championship.

“When it comes to the team, what’s important is that the team keeps racing in the same way we have gone racing so far.

“So staying as neutral as possible, facilitating the pursuit of their own aspirations for Lando and Oscar in a balanced way, in a fair way, in a sportsman-like way and that’s what we will continue to do.

“I don’t think there’s any change in the approach of the team that is triggered based on the fact that we have this situation in Zandvoort.”