McLaren has backed Lando Norris despite failing to convert a P8 grid slot into points in Australia.
The Formula 1 rookie was one of the star performers during qualifying as he made it to Q3 at the first attempt.
But the loss of a few positions at the start was then followed by becoming stuck in traffic after pitting earlier, resulting in the eventual 12th place finish.
“Listen, it’s his first Grand Prix,” sporting director Gil de Ferran told Autosport. “I’m sure if he plays it back, one would hope that he would think he could do this better and that better.
“That’s one of Lando’s great attributes, his ability to think through his own performance and analyse very carefully what he’s doing inside the car, his decision making and so on.
“That ability to be self-critical and open-minded, in my summation, is something that’s going to serve him well.”
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Indeed in a wider evaluation of the 19-year-old's weekend, the Brazilian believes Norris mostly exceeded expectations.
“He did a great job overall,” de Ferran continued. “He really didn’t put a foot wrong the whole weekend.
“A lot of control and discipline, he peaked when he had to pace-wise in qualifying, and in the race, we were just unfortunate with the Giovinazzi train.
“Other than that I think he managed himself really well and frankly drove like a veteran in many ways. He had both to attack and defend during the race, had to manage his pace and the tyres and I think he did that very well.”
