McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has come to the defense of Lando Norris, countering claims that the young British driver struggles at the start of races when starting from pole position. Despite a record that suggested Norris often lost the lead by the end of the first lap when starting from pole or first on

Lando Norris is closing in on a maiden world championship and McLaren have vowed to bring upgrades to the MCL38 over the final six races of the season.

From here, barring a disaster, winning the Constructors’ Championship seems an inevitability and, given the margin between McLaren and Red Bull around the streets of Singapore, Norris has a golden chance to claim his first F1 Drivers’ Championship crown too.