McLaren has decided to prioritize Lando Norris over teammate Oscar Piastri to assist his bid for this year’s Formula One drivers’ championship.
Team principal Andrea Stella confirmed in an interview with the BBC the shift in strategy following discussions within the team, emphasizing that while Norris will receive additional support, any actions taken will align with McLaren’s core principles.
Norris currently sits 62 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, while Piastri, fourth in the standings, is 106 points adrift.
The gap in the constructors’ championship has also shrunk to just eight points, thanks to McLaren’s recent surge in performance, while Red Bull has been grappling with car issues. Verstappen himself has expressed concerns, stating that unless Red Bull quickly understands and addresses their car’s struggles, securing both titles may no longer be realistic.
With 232 points still available in the drivers’ championship, McLaren have an opportunity to challenge for the title, but Stella acknowledges that prioritizing the driver in the best position is necessary to boost their chances.
“The overall concept is we are incredibly determined to win, but we want to win in the right way,” Stella said. “We (will) bias our support to Lando but we want to do it without too much compromise on our principles.
“Our principles are that the team interest always comes first. Sportsmanship for us is important in the overall way we go racing. And then we want to be fair to both drivers.”
The approach follows an incident at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, where Norris and Piastri qualified first and second, only for Piastri to overtake Norris on the opening lap, allowing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to slip between them and ultimately win the race. Norris finished third, with Verstappen placing sixth.
“What we don’t want to see any more is a situation like in Monza in which we enter a chicane P1/P2 and we exit P1/P3. Because that is a detriment to the team,” Stella added.
“After Monza, three objectives: we need to make sure that anything that happens on track is not to the detriment of the team.
“Second objective, how do we win both championships, both drivers committed to help?
“But what we don’t want to do is win in a reckless way. Those are the three topics and they define the way we go racing in Baku. This will be updated after Baku.”
Norris responded to questions about being prioritized as McLaren’s main driver post-race in Monza.
He said he understood the situation but did not relish the idea of team orders.
“I would love it, but it’s not up to me,” Norris said. “It’s tough, because as any driver, you don’t want it. You know, you don’t want things to just be played that way. Obviously, I still believe we can do it. The pace is great, and I still think we have the best car on the grid today. But it’s for the team to decide.
“We’re working well together, helping each other, and performing as the best team. When you’re fighting for a championship, you want every little thing, but the best way is just to win the race, and I didn’t do that today because of some silly things.”
Stella reiterated after the race in Monza McLaren’s belief that both championships are within reach and that Norris, being in a better points position, would be their best bet in challenging Verstappen.
“We have to now be in the condition to acknowledge that not only the constructors’ championship is possible, but even from the driver’s point of view, with the performance we have in the car and some of the struggles we see with Red Bull, it is definitely possible,” Stella said. “If we are going to achieve both, we need to put the team and Lando in a position to win both championships.”
(Top photo: Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
