Summary:
- McLaren has prioritised Lando Norris over team-mate Oscar Piastri in a new bid for winning both F1 titles this season.
- All actions backing Norris would fully comply with the team’s sportsmanship principles.
- The team is 8 points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ championship and could take the lead this weekend in Baku.
In a bold attempt to grab both the drivers’ and the constructors’ titles this Formula 1 season, McLaren announced it would back Lando Norris over teammate Oscar Piastri.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella emphasised that all team orders would strictly remain within the bounds of fairness and sportsmanship.
“We Are Incredibly Determined to Win, But We Want to Win in the Right Way.”
In an interview for BBC Sport, Stella explained that while
The overall concept is we are incredibly determined to win and want to win in the right way.
He also explained that their principles are focused on the team’s interest always coming first, emphasising sportsmanship was important “in the overall way” they go racing.
Stella said that while McLaren will give Norris the edge, it won’t come at the expense of their commitment to fairness. “We want to be fair to both drivers“, he added.
The call was made due to a series of internal meetings following the Italian Grand Prix, where Piastri overtook his teammate at the start, enabling Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to slip between them.
McLaren took its toll and lost a potential one-two finish.
“We Want to Be Fair to Both Drivers”
While, until now, McLaren has enabled Norris and Piastri to race freely, the latest Monza events prompted the shift in their policy that would ensure similar situations would not repeat themselves.
Stella wants to maintain a balanced support for Norris while maintaining the integrity of the team.
We want to be fair to both drivers
With the Azerbaijan Grand Prix getting closer, Norris is still 62 points behind Aston Martin’s leader Max Verstappen. You can get great betting opportunities for this and future Grand Prix’s with Non UK Gambling sites.
However, 232 points are still on the line. Meanwhile, Piastri is sitting 86 points adrift of Verstappen in fourth position ahead of the Baku race.
In the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren is eight points behind Red Bull.
Both Drivers Support the Strategy
Norris and Piastri have both expressed their support for the new approach. Stella explained that Piastri acknowledged that while giving up a potential victory would be painful, he was prepared to do it if it would benefit the team.
Every driver is hard-wired to go for a victory. So I am always very impressed by the level of team spirit and maturity that we found in this period
McLaren is also focused on not overstepping the preferential treatment for Norris.
According to Stella, Norris wants a deserved victory on the track that will not require him to rely on team orders too much.
It’s OK to be occasionally supported by your team-mate, but you don’t want to systematically adjust the race for the sake of points.
Constructors’ Championship, Main Focus
In the context of the rather controversial drivers’ strategy, McLaren’s main focus still remains the constructors’ championship.
Stella has reiterated the team must stay mindful and not lose sight of this important goal while getting ready to enter a critical part of the season.
The upcoming weekend race could be a decisive one where McLaren could overtake Red Bull in the constructors’ standings.
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