In a remarkable turn of events during the latter half of the 2023 season, Lando Norris of McLaren managed a phenomenal turnaround to claim the prestigious Lorenzo Bandini Trophy. To maintain equity while discovering up-and-coming talent, the award is a unique honor, with only one driver entitled to take it home. Nominations for the same award are scrutinized well to ensure fairness.
This yearly honor is given in memory of the late champion Lorenzo Bandini and has additionally been won by Formula 1 champions like Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and the legendary Michael Schumacher in the past. Three days following a horrible incident during the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix, a time when motorsport safety was not as advanced as it is today, Bandini tragically passed away.
Lando Norris claims coveted Lorenzo Bandini award
After winning the highest number of ‘Driver of the Day’ awards in 2023, the British-Belgian driver is geared up to receive one of the most respectable awards that exist in Formula 1. In Bandini’s native Brisighella, Emilia-Romagna, the victor receives a ceramic replica of his Ferrari 312/67, which is handmade by noted ceramist Goffredo Gaeta.
Lando is going to Italy on Sunday to receive the Lorenzo Bandini trophy 🏆
Previous winners include Max, Lewis, Charles, Daniel, Vettel, Kubica, Alonso, Räikkönen, Button and Schumacher… 🐐 pic.twitter.com/nV6wE5axfO
— #LN4 (@LN4) December 7, 2023
The background of Lorenzo Bandini adds a layer of inspiration to the trophy. 1961 saw Bandini make his Formula 1 debut and in the following year, he began a five-year relationship with Ferrari. Even though Jim Clark ruled the racing world at this time, Bandini’s sportsmanship won him a lot of respect from his peers. At the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix, the driver’s Ferrari crashed which led to his death.
Norris reflects on McLaren’s challenges in 2023
Lando Norris finished sixth in the driver’s championship for the 2023 season, nevertheless, he was unsuccessful in leading McLaren to victory. Although a lot of people cited Red Bull’s dominance as an obstacle, Norris felt that he had a part in it. In retrospect, he said that his aggressive qualifying strategy was unwise and that he had not adjusted to the car fast enough in the first half.
Andrea Stella says #McLaren are assessing ways to better support Lando Norris, who proved “very harsh on himself” during the 2023 season.
“Sometimes we need to focus on the positives. There’s quite a lot of positives…”#F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/JgLy0266BC
— McLaren F1 Updates 🏴🇦🇺 (@TheMcLarenZone) December 7, 2023
The British driver reportedly stated, “I just made mistakes too often during qualifying, but then again I drove the best races of my career last season. I approached the qualification with the mindset to simply drive as fast as possible.” Norris further added, “But that’s not how to drive the car. I still have to adapt to the car.”
While the distance between Max Verstappen and the Austrian team was still rather large, McLaren managed to overtake Aston Martin in the constructors’ standings. The Surrey-based team feels optimistic about 2024 as the 2023 season has reached its conclusion. They intend to build on their success and chase race victories, maybe leading to a championship bid.