Sorin Drache

Tag: Norris

  • NHL Awards Watch: Who’s leading for Hart, Norris, Calder?

    • Greg Wyshynski, ESPNDec 10, 2024, 07:00 AM ET

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        Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

    The NHL rookie of the year battle between Philadelphia Flyers sensation Matvei Michkov and San Jose Sharks first overall pick Macklin Celebrini could be one for the ages, according to awards voters.

    But that’s not the only intensely close race for postseason hardware just two months in the season, as previously established favorites come back to the pack and hot new contenders rise up the rankings — although one MVP candidate continues to lap the field.

    We’ve polled a wide selection of Professional Hockey Writers Association voters anonymously to get a sense of where the wind is blowing for the current leaders. We’ve made sure it’s a cross-section from the entire league, trying to gain as many perspectives as possible.

    Bear in mind that the PHWA votes for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke and Lady Byng finalists; broadcasters vote for the Jack Adams; and general managers handle the Vezina.

    All stats are from Hockey-Reference.com, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.

    Jump ahead:
    Ross | Richard | Hart
    Norris | Selke | Vezina
    Calder | Byng | Adams

    Art Ross Trophy (points leader)

    Click here for the updated point-scoring standings.

    Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy

    Click here for the updated goal-scoring standings.

    Hart Trophy (MVP)

    Leader: Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
    Finalists: Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights; Martin Necas, Carolina Hurricanes

    Kirill The Thrill still rules the Hart Trophy race, and has increased the margin over his November lead. Kaprizov earned 78% of the votes last month. He now has 88% of the first-place ballots.

    He has 42 points, with 17 goals and 25 assists. He leads the Wild’s next highest scorer (Matt Boldy) by 15 points after 26 games. Kaprizov has been the league’s best even-strength scorer, as just 10 of his points have come on the power play. Minnesota averages 3.7 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 with Kaprizov on the ice, and gives up just 1.7 goals against.

    “He’s got hella game-winning goals, tiebreaking points and third-period points,” a voter noted.

    Kaprizov was seventh for the Hart in 2021-22 when he had 108 points and 47 goals. The Wild are one of the league’s biggest surprises, with a .741 points percentage in 27 games. Kaprizov has been a driving force behind that ascent to the top of the Western Conference.

    “He’s the biggest reason why no one can talk about the Parise and Suter buyouts crippling Minnesota’s season,” one voter said.

    Another voter declared the Hart is “Kaprizov’s to lose.”

    Of course, he could lose it.

    “The Wild aren’t at the top of the league without him or their goalie, but there are so many options right now,” a voter said. “Kaprizov has been unreal to start the season, but Martin Necas is a close second.”

    Necas is one of only two other players to receive first-place votes for the Hart. Entering Monday night, the Carolina winger had tied Kaprizov for the league lead in points (42 in 27 games). His 14 goals means he’s halfway to his career high (28 goals) well before the halfway mark of the season.

    Outside of maybe Dylan Strome of the Washington Capitals, no one among the NHL’s top 15 scorers is having the breakout season that Necas is having. Few are having the impact that Necas is having on his own team, as he led star center Sebastian Aho by 12 points and posted five game-winning goals this season.

    The other player to receive first-place support was Eichel of the Golden Knights. Like the other two candidates, Eichel has a sizable gap between the next highest scorer on the Knights, leading linemate Ivan Barbashev by 11 points. Vegas is averaging 4.36 goals per 60 minutes with Eichel on the ice, and 2.47 goals against. He has been the best player on a Vegas team that sits atop the Pacific Division.

    Other names mentioned down the ballot for the Hart Trophy were Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers; Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers; Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, who was in the top three last month; and Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Nikita Kucherov, who made the top three last month, has curiously fallen off the radar.

    McDavid is obviously one to watch. He has won NHL MVP three times and been a finalist for it six times in 10 seasons. An early-season injury cost him a couple of games, but McDavid had 37 points in 24 games for a 1.54 points-per-game average, which was fourth in the league. With 16 points in his last eight games, Connor is doing Connor things again.

    Norris Trophy (top defenseman)

    Leader: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
    Finalists: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks; Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

    Makar earned 75% of the first-place votes for the Norris, as the Colorado defenseman continues a dominant offensive season. His 35 points led all defenseman after 29 games, including an NHL-best nine goals. He has 15 power-play points and contributed a shorthanded goal as well.

    “Yeah, Cale Makar. Definitely,” a voter concluded of the Norris race.

    Makar got off to an historic start this season, becoming the second defenseman in NHL history to post a season-opening points streak of at least 11 games, and the second defenseman to lead the league in points for all skaters after one month. The only other guy to do that was Bobby Orr, who was a Hockey Hall of Famer before he became a dependable crossword puzzle clue.

    Makar remains on pace to become the seventh defenseman in NHL history to break 100 points, and the first since Erik Karlsson tallied 101 points with the 2022-23 San Jose Sharks. But what’s impressed some voters more than his point total is the role he’s playing for the Avalanche this season.

    “Makar is not only lapping the field offensively, he’s taking on primary matchup role in Colorado, which is something that players like Quinn Hughes and Victor Hedman are not for their teams,” a voter explained. “When you combine Makar’s offensive impact and the fact he’s doing it while in a matchup role, he has clearly been the league’s best defenseman thus far.”

    Makar won the Norris in 2021-22 and finished third in the next two seasons. That was a bit of a surprise last season, as Makar and Hughes were in a two-player race for the award seemingly all season before Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators swooped in to take second.

    It’s setting up to be another Makar vs. Hughes showdown this season, as the reigning Norris winner garnered the second-most support behind the Avalanche defenseman.

    “It’s Makar, but Quinn Hughes is right behind him,” a voter opined.

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    Cale Makar tallies goal for Colorado Avalanche on the power play

    Cale Makar tallies goal for Colorado Avalanche on the power play

    Hughes has 32 points in 26 games, and his 1.23 points-per-game average ranked him slightly ahead of Makar (1.21). He’s the leading scorer on the Canucks this season, eight points ahead of Elias Pettersson through Sunday’s games. Vancouver fans have sung his praises as their MVP all season.

    “The points for Makar are nice, but Hughes dominates every inch of the ice when he’s there, and he’s on the ice a lot,” one voter noted.

    “It’s Hughes by a hair over Makar, and something tells me this is going to the wire,” another said.

    The only other defenseman to receive first-place votes was Werenski, who is having a stellar season for the Blue Jackets. The 27-year-old defenseman had 28 points in his first 27 games, including eight goals. He’s leading all defensemen in average ice time (26:10) and plays in all situations for Columbus.

    Werenski making the Team USA 4 Nations Face-Off roster no doubt bolstered interest in the kind of season he’s having.

    “Shoutout to Zach Werenski. He’s been unreal in all three zones this year,” said one Hughes voter.

    Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets, who was in the top three last month, were other defensemen who garnered support down the ballot. Hedman, who has one Norris win, is seeking his first nomination after a streak of six season as a finalist ended in 2021-22.

    Calder Trophy (top rookie)

    Leader: Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers
    Finalists: Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks; Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames

    Logan Stankoven, we hardly knew ye.

    The Dallas Stars forward led all rookies in scoring during last month’s NHL Awards Watch voting, and thus led all players with first-place ballots as well. He’s been in a huge funk since Nov. 15, with just two assists in 10 games. Goodbye rookie scoring lead. Goodbye spot as a Calder finalist in the Awards Watch, as Stankoven didn’t receive a first-place vote, even through he was mentioned down the ballot.

    “Neither Michkov nor Macklin Celebrini drive play the way that Stankoven does,” a voter said.

    That said, points are points and Michkov has jumped into the lead with 56% of the first-place ballots. The Flyers’ rookie sensation led all first-year scorers with 25 points in 26 games, including 11 goals to top all rookies. That includes three overtime game-winners, tied with Leon Draisaitl for the most in the NHL through Sunday.

    Michkov was one of the finalists for the Calder last month in the Awards Watch.

    “That kid’s pretty damn good,” one Michkov voter noted succinctly.

    He’s been every bit as special as advertised: Hitting the highlight reel with frequency, and bringing a big personality to the NHL. Witness last weekend’s chicanery, as the 20-year-old Flyers winger was ejected from their loss to Utah and stopped to sign a fan’s water bottle on the way to the dressing room.

    He’s managed to do all of this under coach John Tortorella, who is not known for his offense but certainly known for his tough handling of young scorers.

    “Torts makes me a little nervous on this one, but this is where I’m at right now,” a Michkov voter said. “Almost a point per game for him.”

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    Matvei Michkov delivers with 3rd OT winner of the season

    Matvei Michkov comes through yet again for the Flyers with his third overtime winner of the season.

    The “right now” is doing a lot of work here because it’s clear that a lot of Michkov voters are checking how fast Celebrini is approaching, like a Jurassic Park jeep speeding away from a T-Rex. They felt that way last month and the sentiment has only grown now that Celebrini has played more games.

    “Celebrini is in the rear-view mirror and objects are closer than they appear,” one voter said.

    “I think Celebrini will catch Michkov, but not yet,” another voter predicted.

    Celebrini missed time earlier this season due to injury, but has more than made up for it. The first overall pick last summer has 15 points in 18 games, including eight goals, which was second to Michkov. He’s skating 19:42 per game and has three game-winning goals.

    “Macklin Celebrini wasted absolutely no time making up the ground he lost in the Calder race with that injury. He has been lighting up the scoresheet since coming back and he is living up to every bit of the hype he had going into the draft,” a voter explained. “Michkov has a bit of a lead on him in points, but if he keeps playing like this, he’ll close that gap.”

    “The Sharks are a completely different team since he came back from injury,” another voter said. “He will have his peaks and valleys, as will Michkov, but Celebrini’s complete 200-foot game gives him the edge.”

    Montreal Canadiens rookie defenseman Lane Hutson was the other finalist last month, and received down-ballot mentions from our voters. He has zero goals and 18 assists in 27 games, and is easily the best rookie defenseman in a lackluster crop of them. But there was more interested from our voters in another Canadian rookie this month: Dustin Wolf of the Calgary Flames.

    Wolf is 8-5-1 with a .909 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.84. Stathletes has playing him just slightly below expected in goals saved above expected (minus-0.44) but he’s been really strong for a surprising Flames team. Wolf is easily the best rookie goalie of the lot this season. Outside of Michkov and Celebrini, he’s the only other rookie to have received a first-place vote.

    “If we’re being honest about who the best rookie is — not the flashiest — it’s Wolf by a mile,” a voter declared. “He’s been outstanding and this shouldn’t be particularly close.”

    “Dustin Wolf’s numbers were very tempting and he’s done a great job holding Calgary in the playoff picture, but Celebrini has a much larger sample size and had a monster November,” another voter argued.

    Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)

    Note: The NHL’s general managers vote for this award

    Leader: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
    Finalists: Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks; Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild

    Can the Gus Bus catch a Jet?

    That’s the big question when it comes to the Vezina voting. Hellebuyck is the clear favorite for the award, but like Winnipeg in the standings, his dominance has faltered a bit — perhaps not a coincidence, mind you. Especially when Gustavsson, who has the second most support for the Vezina, is the netminder for the team that’s blown past the Jets in the West.

    “It is a two-horse race between Gustavsson and Hellebuyck,” one voter concluded.

    Hellebuyck has started the season 17-5-0 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average, along with three shutouts. Despite the strong team in front of him, he is fifth in goals saved above expected per Stathletes (8.5). He won the Vezina last season for the second time in his career. He’s been a finalist four times.

    “This really isn’t a conversation unless Hellebuyck gets hurt or starts playing dodgeball,” a voter noted.

    “His ridiculous head start helps,” another voter quipped.

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    Connor Hellebuyck robs Panthers with save

    Connor Hellebuyck robs Panthers with save

    But as of Monday, Hellebuyck does not have a stronger stats case than Gustavsson does. The Wild goalie is 13-4-3 with a .931 save percentage and a 1.99 goals-against average. Stathletes has him second in goals saved above expected (9.5).

    “All aboard the Gus Bus!” one voter said enthusiastically.

    The only other goalie to receive a first-place vote was Dostal, who continues to play well for a Ducks team that doesn’t seem all that interested in the whole “defense” thing. (Not sure if Jacob Trouba is the guy to fix that, but Dostal was no doubt happy to see the reinforcement arrive.)

    The Anaheim goalie is 6-7-2 with a .921 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average, with a shutout. Stathletes has him fourth in the NHL, with 9.1 goals saved above average.

    “It isn’t Lukas Dostal’s fault that his team is poor, his performance has been nothing short of outstanding this season,” a voter explained.

    New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin was in the top three last month but garnered little support among these voters. The only other goalie that did was Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals, who is sixth in goals saved above expected via Stathletes and is 11-1-2 with a .913 save percentage for the Caps.

    “It’s worth pointing out that Canada left a guy in the Vezina conversation off their 4 Nations roster,” one voter highlighted.

    Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)

    Leader: Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
    Finalists: Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning; Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers

    Memo to Sasha Barkov: Someone is coming to take your Selke Trophy and the call is coming from inside the house …

    Barkov is still the default choice for most voters, earned 50% of the first-place votes in a crowded field — although not nearly as crowded as last month’s Awards Watch, no less than 11 different players receive at least one first-place vote. Barkov won the Selke for the second time last season, and many expected it would be the start of a Patrice Bergeron-esque run for the Panthers captain.

    Despite missing eight games due to injury, Barkov has been outstanding. He wins 64% of his faceoffs. The Panthers have a 1.9 expected-goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 with him on the ice. As is Selke Trophy tradition, Barkov has also been offensively dominant, to the tune of 28 points in 20 games. Florida earns a strong 63.4% of the high-danger shot attempts when Barkov is on the ice.

    When Reinhart is on the ice, they earn 61.7% of them. When he’s on the ice, the Panthers give up only 1.9 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, which is slightly better than Barkov (2.0) despite the two playing the majority of their time together.

    Reinhart’s defensive analytics stack up against anyone in the NHL. They might get obscured by his remarkable offensive output (19 goals and 19 assists in 28 games) and the formidable shadow cast by Barkov’s reputation, but with 25% of the first-place votes for the Selke, it’s clear that Reinhart’s candidacy is catching on.

    “Tight race goes to Reinhart right now,” one voter concluded.

    “He’s burning the opposition at both ends of the ice,” another said.

    At least one voter also noted that a vote for Reinhart is a vote for a winger, as Jere Lehtinen was the last non-center to win the award, back in 2003.

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    Sam Reinhart scores short-handed goal for Florida Panthers

    Sam Reinhart scores short-handed goal for Florida Panthers

    Cirelli had the next-highest number of first-place votes among Selke candidates. He’s averaging 2.0 expected goals against per 60 minutes this season, and the Lightning get an incredible 66% of the high-danger shot attempts when he’s on the ice.

    After a couple of seasons where it looked like he might break into the top three in for the Selke, Cirelli fell off the radar the last two seasons. But he’s back in the conversation now, and that conversation probably got louder when Cirelli was named to Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off as its defensive stopper.

    “Anthony Cirelli is making a case for himself, with 11 goals and 13 assists,” a voter noted.

    Two other players received first-place votes: Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar, who’s won the Selke twice; and Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal, who was the runner-up last season and continues to search for the first Selke win of his 19-year NHL career.

    Other names mentioned down the ballot for the Selke were Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils, who was in the top three last month, and Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

    “Hischier and Marner are within striking distance because they play significant roles on the penalty kill,” one voter said.

    Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play)

    This is the part where I mention that the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play should be voted on by the league’s on-ice officials or by the NHL Players’ Association instead of the PHWA.

    Traditionally, this award goes to a player with a top-20 point total and the lowest penalty minutes among those players. It’s early, but Toronto’s Mitch Marner had just four penalty minutes in 27 games, amassing 38 points. He was fourth for the Byng in 2021-22.

    And hey, maybe he’s garnered sympathy since being the target of William Nylander’s tough love on the NHL’s Amazon Prime show.

    Jack Adams Award (best coach)

    Note: The NHL Broadcasters’ Association votes on this award.

    Leader: Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals
    Finalists: Scott Arniel, Winnipeg Jets, John Hynes, Minnesota Wild

    One of the biggest stories of the first quarter of the season was Alex Ovechkin, whose 15 goals in 18 games was the hottest start of career and made catching Wayne Gretzky’s goals record this season a plausible possibility.

    When Ovechkin went down with a broken leg after 18 games, the story shifted to the rest of the Capitals and their coach Spencer Carbery, whose team has gone 6-2-1 without their star captain while climbing to the top of the league standings.

    Carbery earned 75% of the first-place votes from the ballots we surveyed. He was a strong second last month.

    “Sure, the Capitals are a playoff team from last year that made a few additions, but it’s pretty clear the system Carbery has in place is helping the Capitals out a ton,” a voter explaind. “They’ve continued to win games even with Alex Ovechkin out of the lineup and a lot of that is due to what Carbery has in place and the work he’s done in developing the young players on that roster.”

    As another voter said: “Spencer Carbery, and it’s not close. He’s gotten these Capitals to buy in, and they’re still finding ways to win without Alex Ovechkin. Just wow.”

    Arniel, who led for the Jack Adams in the last Awards Watch, and Hynes were the only other two coaches to receive first-place votes.

    The Jets have cooled off some after their historic start — the first team in NHL history to win at least 14 of its first 15 games of a season — but Arniel turned a good team from last season into a steamroller early on this season.

    Voters love a redemption story, too: Please recall Arniel had two unsuccessful years with Columbus from 2010-11, paid his dues and got his second chance over a decade later. But keep in mind the voters were already impressed with the Jets: Rick Bowness was a Jack Adams finalist last season.

    Hynes’ Wild team moved past Winnipeg in the standings, earning him some support for the Jack Adams — although in some cases, begrudgingly.

    “I’ve never been a huge fan of John Hynes, but his system and overall team play make him the easy choice for the award,” a voter explained.

    Another voter offered no caveat: “Hynes has a roster in salary cap hell at the top of the league — surely helped by Kaprizov, but Minnesota has been excellent.”

    Among the other coaches getting mentioned down the ballots were Rod Brind’Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes, who was in the top three last month, as well as two coaches who share a connection from last offseason: Sheldon Keefe of the New Jersey Devils … who was replaced by Craig Berube with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

    “Berube has completely changed the identity of the Leafs, making them the best defensive team in the league,” a voter said.

    Meanwhile in New Jersey: “People may hate this, but Sheldon Keefe is doing well in NJ. Seems like his players are buying in.”

    Remember, when it comes to the Jack Adams, it’s pays to be excellent but not the best: since 1973-74, only 10 winners came from teams that captured the Presidents’ Trophy.

  • Grija, echilibrul lui Norris oferă coroana de constructori a lui McLaren F1

    ABU DHABI, Emiratele Arabe Unite — După ce a câștigat primul campionat de constructori de Formula 1 al McLaren din 1998, Lando Norris a semnat sezonul cu o declarație clară de intenție: „Anul viitor va fi și anul meu”. A fost un mesaj potrivit pentru a-i urmări performanța: o călătorie fără cusur către victorie într-un mare premiu în care totul ar fi putut să se prăbușească pentru McLaren într-un mod care ar fi putut umbri ceea ce a fost un sezon revoluționar pentru echipa britanică și pilotul său superstar.

    „Vrem să câștigăm constructorii, vrem să câștigăm piloții anul viitor”, a spus Norris.

    Deși a fost ușor să facă găuri în anumite părți ale sezonului lui Norris, el intră în vacanța de iarnă pe spatele uneia dintre cele mai importante performanțe din istoria recentă a echipei sale.

    Poziția confortabilă a lui McLaren la începutul cursei, Norris pornind înaintea coechipierului Oscar Piastri într-un blocaj din primul rând, a fost spulberată la doar câteva secunde de la concurs. Fantezia optimistă a lui Max Verstappen în interior l-a învârtit pe australian și l-a lăsat brusc pe Norris să-l ajute pe Charles Leclerc și Carlos Sainz — perechea Ferrari care l-a urmat pe McLaren cu 21 de puncte în clasamentul constructorilor înainte ca luminile să se stingă duminică — toate prin se.

    „Mă uitam la televizor și l-am văzut pe Charles că era locul 8 după turul 1… așa că eram puțin nervos, dar știam că trebuie doar să mă concentrez pe mine, să las capul în jos”, a spus Norris după cursă. „Pentru un minut, inima mea a spus: „O, Doamne, nu pare la fel de probabil”, dar dacă mi-aș ține capul în jos și aș fi concentrat, am știut că pot să fac ceea ce trebuie să fac.”

    Având totul de pierdut, Norris era sublim. Câștigurile singure în față pot părea de rutină, dar sunt orice altceva decât.

    „Carlos nu a fost niciodată departe”, a spus Norris duminică seara. “Cred că cel mai mare decalaj pe care l-am obținut a fost să îmi plac 4,2 secunde în primul stint și nu este un decalaj foarte frumos, după părerea mea. Este puțin prea aproape de confortul meu.”

    În cele din urmă, diferența lui față de Sainz în secunda a fost de 5,832 de secunde, demonstrând o mare măsură de a-și gestiona avantajul. Un astfel de calm nu a fost întotdeauna un dat.

    În timp ce 2024 a fost un progres în sensul că și-a câștigat prima victorie și a adăugat încă trei victorii, au existat momente pe parcurs când a atras critici. Înainte de jumătatea sezonului, Norris a fost un outsider în lupta pentru titlu, dar ar fi ușor de susținut că lupta lui cu Verstappen — a cărui campanie părea să fie în plină implozie la jumătatea anului — ar fi trebuit să fie mult mai strânsă. .

    Nu l-a învins niciodată pe Verstappen în luptele lor roată la roată și au existat mai multe curse care păreau să-i scape printre degete. De asemenea, s-a luptat să profite de cele opt pole-poziții pe care le-a asigurat în 2024, cursa de duminică de la Abu Dhabi tocmai pentru a treia oară când a câștigat victoria după ce a pornit primul pe grilă.

    Un an pentru învățare înainte de un sezon, McLaren și-a stabilit obiectivul de a provoca de la început titlul de piloți nu poate fi un lucru rău.

    „Cred că singurul lucru pe care l-am învățat anul acesta este probabil să cred un pic mai mult în mine”, a spus Norris. „Așa că, cu siguranță, nu am ieșit în frunte atât de des pe cât mi-aș fi dorit în anumite momente ca șofer, mai ales în luptele mele împotriva lui Max. Oricât de mult mă doare uneori, probabil că sunt fericit acum că am” Voi intra în sezonul următor știind că pot lupta.”

    O mare parte din accent pe campania lui Norris a venit din controlul suplimentar pe care îl primește un candidat la campionat. Deși uneori i s-a părut că șoferul britanic a fost iritat de titlurile generate în momentele inferioare ale sezonului său, el a fost într-o dispoziție filozofică duminică seara.

    „Probabil că momentele mai grele sunt cele pe care le înveți cel mai mult”, a spus el. „Deci este cam adevărat ce spun oamenii, dar acele vremuri mai grele… Niciuna dintre ele nu sunt neapărat cele care m-au făcut să mă mai îndoiesc de mine.

    „Sezonul acesta a fost cel mai bun sezon al meu dintr-o performanță [perspective]ca personal. A fost suficient de bun? Probabil că nu a fost, nu. Dar când te uiți la propria mea performanță și la performanțele mele de calificare, de exemplu, au fost aproape de două ori mai bune decât am fost anul trecut, mai ales în comparație cu ceilalți bărbați din exact aceeași mașină. Așa că am crescut cu siguranță la un nivel bun în acest sezon.”

    Nu va fi doar Norris cel care ia lecții valoroase din 2024 până în sezonul următor. McLaren s-a trezit cu dificultăți să se adapteze la noua sa realitate ca un concurent de bună credință săptămânal de săptămână, încurcând comenzile de echipă în Ungaria și Italia, aceasta din urmă permițând Ferrari să obțină o victorie care a galvanizat faimoasa echipă roșie și a ajutat la începerea unei serii de rezultate care a luat lupta constructorilor până la ultima cursă a sezonului.

    La fel ca Norris, McLaren a livrat în oala sub presiune, sub lumini.

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    Norris: Îmi voi aminti rolul meu în titlul McLaren „pentru totdeauna”

    Lando Norris spune că este fericit pentru echipa sa McLaren după ce a ajutat la asigurarea primului lor campionat de constructori din 1998.

    Cel mai bun exemplu în acest sens a fost în turul 27, când Norris a intrat pentru a face singura oprire a concursului. Sainz se oprise cu un tur mai devreme și o mică greșeală l-ar putea lăsa pe Norris în spatele spaniolului și într-o poziție care ar fi schimbat clasamentul live înapoi în favoarea lui Ferrari.

    Echipajul McLaren la boxa nu a clipit.

    „Întregul sezon a fost în ultimul popas”, a spus șefa echipei Andrea Stella, duminică seara. “O problemă la pit-stop și am fi putut pierde poziția în fața lui Carlos și am fi putut pierde campionatul. Băieții au oferit ceea ce cred că este unul dintre cele mai bune opriri ale sezonului, confirmând traiectoria care nu a fost doar performanța mașinii, ci a fost maturitatea generală, mentalitatea, rezistența emoțională a întregii echipe.”

    McLaren a început acest sezon pe picior din spate, cu cinci curse trecând înainte de pachetul de upgrade din Miami, care a adus echipa înapoi în conversație. CEO-ul companiei, Zak Brown, a vorbit cu o mână de jurnaliști înainte de weekend și a spus că marele obiectiv al McLaren pentru 2025 este să dea drumul la sol.

    Dacă ținuta engleză primește mașina și versiunea lui Norris pe care o avea în Abu Dhabi, ar putea fi un alt an de istorie pentru echipa din papaya.

  • Marele Premiu Abu Dhabi: Lando Norris pe pole cu Lewis Hamilton pe locul 18

    Lando Norris a ocupat pole position la Marele Premiu de la Abu Dhabi în fața coechipierului Oscar Piastri, deoarece McLaren s-a pus într-o poziție perfectă pentru a câștiga primul lor titlu de constructori din 1998.

    Norris a condus Piastri cu 0,209 secunde la sfârșitul unei sesiuni de calificări captivante în ultima cursă a sezonului.

    Carlos Sainz a ocupat locul trei pentru Ferrari, care a urmat McLaren cu 21 de puncte înainte de cursa de duminică.

    Coechipierul său, Charles Leclerc, va lua startul din spate, calificându-se pe locul 13 după ce i-a fost șters timpul pe tur în a doua calificare pentru depășirea limitelor de pistă și cu o penalizare de 10 locuri pe grilă.

    Lewis Hamilton s-a calificat pe locul 18 în ultima sa cursă pentru Mercedes, după ce turul său decisiv din prima sesiune a fost distrus când mașina sa a adunat un bollard dislocat de Haas de la Kevin Magnussen, în timp ce danezul încerca să iasă din calea lui Hamilton.

    „Nu te-ai putut compensa”, a spus Hamilton, care urmează să înceapă pe locul 16 după penalty-uri pentru Alex Albon de la Leclerc și Williams. “Este ceea ce este.”

    Mai multe de urmat

  • Marele Premiu Las Vegas: George Russell pe pole cu Max Verstappen al cincilea și Lando Norris al șaselea

    Hamilton a fost în fruntea celei de-a doua sesiuni de calificări, dar când a venit să împingă la limită și să găsească ultimul timp, a rămas scurt, așa cum a devenit o tendință în acest an.

    Mercedes a arătat puternic tot weekendul, Hamilton depășind atât sesiunile de antrenament de vineri, cât și cele de sâmbătă Russell, iar această formă a continuat până în calificări.

    Russell a lovit peretele la prima rundă și a avut nevoie de o schimbare a aripii din față, dar a rămas strâns și a cerut să fie trimis ultimul pentru a se asigura că a obținut cele mai bune condiții de pistă.

    Stâlpul lui a fost primul lui Mercedes de când a fost în frunte la Marele Premiu al Marii Britanii în iulie.

    „E incredibil să fiu din nou pe stâlp”, a spus Russell. „Am fost atât de rapizi tot weekendul și știam că turul Q3 va fi cel care va conta.

    “Trebuie să-l pui uneori pe masă. M-am simțit încrezător în mine, știam că dacă aș face o tură curată ar fi suficient pentru a finaliza primul rând, dar trebuie să-l transformăm într-o victorie acum.”

    Loviturile finale de top 10 au fost amânate cu aproximativ o jumătate de oră după ce Franco Colapinto și-a prăbușit Williams la sfârșitul celei de-a doua sesiuni de calificări.

    Și când a început în cele din urmă, un număr de șoferi nu și-au reușit să-și dezvolte potențialul.

    Alături de Hamilton, Leclerc a făcut o eroare în primul său tur și a trebuit să abandoneze și apoi a avut un prim sector slab din ultimul său tur. Pentru a ajunge pe locul al patrulea, în circumstanțele a sugerat faptul că un șut la stâlp era deschis pentru el.

    Și ambii șoferi McLaren s-au estompat. Norris a stabilit mai mult sau mai puțin în același timp cu Verstappen la prima sa rundă, dar era la 0,211 secunde de rivalul său când a contat.

    În spatele lui Norris, Yuki Tsunoda de la RB a fost al șaptelea, cu Oscar Piastri de la McLaren pe locul opt și Nico Hulkenberg și Hamilton de la Haas completând top 10.

  • Marele Premiu Las Vegas: Lewis Hamilton îl conduce pe Lando Norris în al doilea antrenament

    „Punturile lungi au început puțin mai competitive, dar chiar și acolo trebuie să perfecționăm câteva lucruri.

    „Ritmul dintr-un tur este destul de îndepărtat. Desigur, sunt condiții destul de unice și foarte frig și trebuie să înțelegem ce facem greșit în acest moment.

    “Se simte foarte mult legat de anvelope, echilibrul nu este chiar atât de greșit, dar nu avem aderență. Este ca și cum ai conduce pe gheață în acest moment.”

    Hamilton a fost cu 0,011 secunde mai rapid decât Norris în a doua sesiune și cu 0,396 secunde în fața lui Russell în prima.

    Hamilton, care a recunoscut miercuri că a avut chef să-și oprească sezonul devreme după o cursă proastă în Brazilia ultima dată, a declarat: „Este prima dată când am avut o astfel de zi anul acesta. Mașina se simțea foarte bine în P1. În P2 mai puțin.

    „Dificil de știut exact unde suntem sau exact de ce suntem unde suntem. Dar ne bucurăm mult de condus pe pistă. Vom vedea dacă mașina rămâne la fel mâine.

    „Ritmul de cursă nu este atât de grozav, munca pe care trebuie să o fac peste noapte este să-mi dau seama cum pot avea un ritm de cursă mai bun fără a pierde ritmul în tur. Dar a fost frumos să obțin sectoare consecutive și mașina să nu mă arunce. “

    Russell a spus: „O zi incredibilă și mi-ar plăcea să vă spun de ce și, să fiu sincer, ne scărpinăm puțin în cap.

    „A fost doar antrenament și Lewis a făcut o treabă grozavă acolo. El a fost cu adevărat pe asta.

    „Dar mașina tocmai a funcționat. Suntem pe o pistă de stradă, cu aderență redusă, devine din ce în ce mai rapidă la fiecare tură. Pentru că am fost rapid astăzi, nu înseamnă că o vom repeta mâine, când pista va fi. fi probabil cu trei secunde mai rapid.”

    Între sesiuni, directorul echipei Mercedes, Toto Wolff, a minimizat semnificația echipei sale care a stabilit ritmul, spunând că sunt „campionii cu aderență scăzută”.

    „P1 este întotdeauna bun și atunci când aderența se activează, performanța se deteriorează”, a spus Wolff.

    Dar Russell a spus că nu vede lucrurile la fel.

    „Percepția că pierdem performanța nu este tocmai corectă”, a spus el. „Mai mult, concurenții nu își folosesc puterea mare și ar putea să consume puțin mai mult combustibil decât noi vineri, așa că, din punct de vedere istoric, au făcut nisip puțin mai mult.

    „Există o posibilitate să se întâmple mâine, dar decalajul pe care l-am arătat a fost destul de substanțial și sper să putem continua această formă”.

    Russell a încheiat a doua sesiune al treilea cel mai rapid, înaintea Ferrari-urilor lui Carlos Sainz și Charles Leclerc, care au avut cel mai puternic ritm într-o cursă.