McLaren has provided its strongest indication yet that it may fully support Lando Norris in his bid for the Formula 1 championship, despite having previously been reluctant to impose team orders.
As Red Bull and Max Verstappen face increasing challenges, McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, believes it’s time for the team to ensure that every opportunity to maximize Norris’s points is seized.
During the recent Italian Grand Prix, Norris secured a third-place finish, but an aggressive first-lap maneuver by teammate Oscar Piastri allowed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to slip between them, ultimately taking the win.
With Norris trailing Verstappen by 62 points and only eight races remaining, McLaren recognizes that aiding Norris could be crucial in the title chase’s outcome.
Reflecting on Verstappen’s post-race comments where he downplayed his title chances, Stella remarked, “Max is good, even with his tongue. He’s not only good on track. Obviously, he knows that the car he is driving at the moment seems to provide him with some challenges.”
Stella emphasized the need for McLaren to capitalize on Red Bull’s current struggles, saying, “We need to be better at seizing the opportunities that Red Bull seems to be offering by not being in their usual position of competing for podiums.”
While both Norris and Piastri remain in mathematical contention for the championship, Stella acknowledged the practicality of supporting the driver with the best chance. “We are fighting Max Verstappen, so if we want to give support to one driver, we definitely have to pick the one that is in the best position,” he said.
Stella also praised Norris’s recent performances, highlighting his pole positions at Zandvoort and Monza. “If anything, with Lando, we need to adjust some little racing things which may help him, and help us capitalize on a pole position like we had here in Monza,” he added.
However, Stella downplayed the idea of designating Norris as the clear number one driver. “Number one kind of works well as a headline, but I’m not sure it works very well in the real world,” he explained. “It’s better to keep working as a team, get the opinion of both drivers, and then work together to pursue this objective in both championships.”
Stella admitted that McLaren had been cautious about their championship prospects before Monza but now sees that they can compete at circuits where they struggled last year. “It’s a very competitive package overall, and this could be a very important weapon for Lando in particular in the quest for the championship,” he said.
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When asked if the team had considered swapping Piastri and Norris in the closing stages of the Italian Grand Prix, Stella responded, “We did not consider that. We considered other ways during the race to ensure that Lando had his own opportunities. But we didn’t consider the swap because we were still willing to put as much pressure as possible on Leclerc and eventually induce him to have a problem with the front left, like a lock-up, in one of the chicanes.”