In the heart of Monte Carlo, under the tight, unforgiving streets of Monaco, Lando Norris produced what McLaren team boss Andrea Stella described as a “very, very well managed and executed weekend” to claim victory in the 2025 F1 Monaco GP. This marked his second season win and perhaps his most polished performance to date.
From the first lap of practice, Norris signalled intent. McLaren’s Team Principal, Andrea Stella, was full of praise for the Briton’s unshakeable poise throughout the entire weekend. Particularly under pressure, and highlighted how Norris delivered with remarkable composure in a race that demanded precision and mental clarity.
Stella has nothing but high praise for Norris after the F1 Monaco GP
“I think Lando kept the high standards, the quality of execution and the lucidity that he has had throughout the weekend. He was faster from Lap 1 in practice and he kept building from Lap 1 in practice to capitalise on a pole position,” Stella noted in his print media session after the race.
“And today he went through various situations which required cold blood, I would say. Especially, I think the most stressful moment was when he went for the second time through the back markers, knowing that we could have called him in [for a pit stop] and he stayed very lucid. No panic, he came in.”
Despite an early lock-up at Turn 1, Norris kept his head down and delivered a flawless performance. After reviewing the data, Stella revealed the team was unconcerned by the incident. He confirmed there were no significant risks to tyre health.
“No, we were not very worried, because it didn’t happen straight as he touched the brakes,” Stella explained. “It wasn’t coming from high speed.
“So when we looked at the metrics that you can derive from some parameters and sensors, we saw that the metrics characterising the lock up, they were relatively low.
“We weren’t too concerned about tyre life or tyre performance over a long stint.”
That calm behind the wheel translated into intelligent pit strategy execution, especially during a crucial second round of stops. With Verstappen temporarily taking the lead due to a long first stint, Norris remained patient and precisely executed his second stop.
Looking at the bigger picture for McLaren following the F1 Monaco GP
Yet, for Andrea Stella, this wasn’t about a single race win — it’s about the longer journey, one he believes is only just beginning for both Lando Norris and McLaren.
“I don’t want to think about a turning point, because I think the journey that we are going through with Lando, which is the counterpart of a journey that we are going through with Oscar, they are simply different in terms of what we are doing…
“So, this is a journey that is not changed by one stage of the journey.
“Certainly, this one can help a lot with the consolidation of the work that we have done [with Norris]. It shows that when you put together and you pull off good work, and you believe in this work, then you see the results. So, I think this can cement what we have done so far, but for me, we are nowhere near at the final destination.”
The relationship between the McLaren drivers
McLaren finished with both drivers on the podium, reinforcing the depth of their 2025 package. Yet, the focus of Andrea Stella remains firmly on development and evolution, not celebration.
“But for Lando and Oscar, the talent that we have available, that can be exploited, is still at the start of the journey. So, I’m really looking forward to seeing the development of Lando and Oscar, because for us at McLaren, we hope so, we worked hard for that to be the case, but also for Formula 1, in terms of having these talents flourishing in the future, I think this is a very exciting journey.”
The 2025 F1 Monaco GP might have offered just a single chapter in a long campaign. But it showcases Lando Norris’ maturity and the fruit of McLaren’s relentless work behind the scenes. As Stella put it, the destination remains ahead.
