Lando Norris’ Pole Position Curse: A Series of Missed Opportunities and Team Dynamics at Play

Lando Norris experiences another disappointing start in the Italian Grand Prix

Lando Norris's struggles on the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix persist, marking a concerning pattern for the McLaren racer.

Lando Norris failed to maintain the front-runner position for the seventh instance after beginning the race from pole position.

At the onset of the Monza race, Norris initially fell behind but managed to make a robust beginning as he approached the first turn.

Nonetheless, the McLaren racer was taken by surprise when his team member, Oscar Piastri, executed a bold maneuver at Turn 1.

Piastri took the lead in the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix, surpassing his team member.

On all seven instances that Norris began a race in the pole position, he has failed to maintain the lead during the first lap.

At the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, Norris secured his first-ever pole position for McLaren, achieving this feat under varying weather conditions.

Nonetheless, he relinquished first place to Carlos Sainz at the start of the race but managed to regain his position ahead of the Ferrari driver shortly after.

Norris was in the lead for the majority of the race until a mistimed change to intermediate tires famously cost him his initial win.

2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix (Sprint)

Norris, who had the quickest time in the sprint race at Interlagos, surrendered the top spot to Max Verstappen right at the first turn.

The competitor from the Netherlands secured the sprint victory with a margin of more than four

2024 Chinese Grand Prix (Sprint)

In challenging weather, Norris shone brightly, racing to the top spot in the final round with a lead of more than a second.

This occasion saw Lewis Hamilton take the lead at Turn 1, as the seven-time world champion overtook his rival.

Norris attempted to pass Hamilton on the exterior side during the initial series of turns but ended up going off track in the attempt.

2024 Spanish Grand Prix

While Norris was attempting to defend his position from a quickly advancing Verstappen in Barcelona, both were unexpectedly overtaken by George Russell, who skillfully maneuvered past them on the outer track.

Norris fell to third position, as his performance in the first lap likely hindered his chance of victory, considering McLaren's strong performance throughout the race.

2024 Hungarian Grand Prix

An uninspiring start in the first lap enabled Piastri to overtake at Turn 1.

This established the precedent for the remainder of the competition, with McLaren ultimately choosing to prioritize Piastri by having him switch places with his teammate during the last segment.

Norris once again fails to secure a victory in F1.

2024 Dutch Grand Prix

Securing the fastest time in qualifying by a margin of 0.3 seconds, Norris was overtaken by Verstappen at the first corner of the Zandvoort track.

However, McLaren's speed was so much more advanced that it ultimately didn't matter, as he secured the victory by a margin of more than 22 seconds.

2024 Italian Grand Prix

In the third instance this year, Norris' maneuvers at the start of the race may have deprived him of a win.

This occasion saw him perfectly execute the beginning, taking the lead from Piastri as they approached the initial turn.

This time, Norris appeared unenthusiastic entering Turn 4, allowing Piastri to pass him on the outside.

This placed Norris at a disadvantage, falling behind Charles Leclerc at Turn 5, and slipping to third position.

Despite McLaren's decision to opt for a two-stop strategy ultimately costing them the race, if Norris had been in the lead ahead of Piastri, with the two running first and second, the outcome could have varied, particularly in their ability to dictate the pace of the race.

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