McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has emphasized the importance of teamwork between drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as the team aims to build on recent successes and challenge for both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles in the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Thanks to a series of effective upgrades, McLaren has emerged as a serious competitor to Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship this season. After the Italian Grand Prix, McLaren has reduced Red Bull’s lead to just eight points. Meanwhile, Norris has been steadily chipping away at Max Verstappen’s advantage in the Drivers’ standings, closing the gap to 62 points with eight races left in the season.
However, tensions arose during the race at Monza when Piastri passed his pole-sitting teammate, Norris, in a bold move on the opening lap, raising questions about McLaren’s team orders, known as the ‘papaya rules.’
After the race, Stella addressed whether Norris—who holds a 44-point advantage over Piastri—might be backed as the team’s number one driver in the title fight.
“Both drivers are mathematically in contention, but Lando is obviously in the best position from a numbers point of view,” said Stella. “We are fighting Max Verstappen, so if we have to give support to one driver, we have to pick the driver that is in the best position.”
Stella revealed that the team had already discussed the situation ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. “We acknowledged that Lando is in the best position in the Drivers’ Championship from a points perspective,” he explained.
The team principal stressed the need for careful analysis of the race dynamics. “We have conversations with Oscar and Lando, and together, we define our rules of engagement. We need to review the first lap, but it has to be done in a competent, detailed manner, taking into account the videos and the drivers’ expectations,” he added.
Stella also highlighted the complexities of designating a clear number one driver. “Number one works well as a headline, but I’m not sure it works in the real world. For example, if Lando braked too early in a corner and Oscar naturally had the chance to take the lead, what do you do as a number one? It’s very difficult to implement in reality,” he said.
Instead, Stella advocated for a unified approach. “I think it’s better to keep working as a team, get the opinion of both drivers, and work together to pursue this objective in both championships,” he stated. “It now looks like both championships are a possibility. We were cautious before Monza, but now we see that McLaren can compete at circuits where last year we weren’t competitive. This could be very important for Lando in particular in the quest for the championship.”
McLaren last claimed the Constructors’ Championship in 1998, with Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard behind the wheel. The team’s most recent Drivers’ title came in 2008, when Lewis Hamilton secured his first F1 crown.