McLaren Backs Lando Norris in Title Fight

Lando Norris (right) finished third behind Charles Leclerc (left) at Monza as McLaren did not ask Oscar Piastri to give up second place. Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

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Following the Italian Grand Prix, McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, has announced that the team will back Lando Norris in the fight for the world championship title, hinting at the possibility of introducing team orders. This shift in strategy comes after the impressive performance by McLaren in Monza, where both cars secured podium finishes. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished second and third, respectively, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

With McLaren’s cars showing increased competitiveness and Red Bull’s championship leader, Max Verstappen, struggling to maintain his earlier dominance, McLaren is now focused on maximizing Norris’ chances. Stella stated that while both Norris and Piastri are still mathematically in contention for the title, the team will prioritize the driver with the better position in the standings—Lando Norris.

“We’re fighting against Max Verstappen, so I think if we want to support a driver, we definitely need to choose the one in the best position,” Stella explained. “And Lando is doing really well,” he added, as quoted by Motorsport.

In the Italian Grand Prix, Norris found himself third after an aggressive move by his teammate, Piastri, on the opening lap, allowing Leclerc to overtake both McLaren drivers. This shift created a better opportunity for Leclerc to capitalize on his race strategy, which involved just one tire change.

With eight races left in the season and Norris trailing Verstappen by 62 points, Stella emphasized the importance of focusing the team’s efforts on the British driver. “At the very least, we need to fine-tune certain race details with Lando to help him capitalize on opportunities, like the pole position we secured in Monza. After reviewing the first lap together, we realized there were some areas where we could have done better,” said Stella.

While McLaren is clearly putting its weight behind Norris, Stella clarified that this doesn’t necessarily mean the team will assign him the title of “number one driver.” He questioned the practicality of such designations in modern F1: “I’m not sure how well the concept of a ‘number one’ driver works in real-world racing. It’s not always straightforward.”

Stella pointed to specific race situations, such as the battle at Turn 4 during the Italian Grand Prix, where Norris may have braked too early, allowing Piastri to seize the lead. “What does ‘number one’ mean in that scenario? Should they switch positions afterward? It’s tough to define.”

Instead, Stella emphasized the importance of maintaining a collaborative approach within the team, listening to both drivers, and focusing on winning both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. “We were cautious before Monza, but now we see that we can compete on tracks where we weren’t competitive last year. This package is very strong, and it could be crucial for Lando in his pursuit of the title,” he concluded.

When asked if the team considered swapping Piastri and Norris in the final laps of the Italian GP, Stella said: “We didn’t consider that. We explored other ways to ensure Lando had his own chances, but swapping wasn’t one of them. We still wanted to put as much pressure on Leclerc as possible, hoping he’d make a mistake.”

With McLaren’s newfound competitiveness and Lando Norris in a strong position, the team is now fully committed to supporting their lead driver in the race for the championship.

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