McLaren Commits To Fair Treatment Of Norris And Piastri Amid F1 Season

Andrea Stella emphasised that prioritising Lando Norris as McLaren's lead driver is not a beneficial strategy for the remaining nine races of the Formula 1 season. Norris, who secured his second career win at the Dutch Grand Prix recently, has narrowed the gap to Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship to 70 points. His victory was highlighted by a significant margin of 22.896 seconds over Verstappen, marking the largest winning gap since Lewis Hamilton in 2021.

Zak Brown mentioned that the decision to designate a number one driver rests with Stella. However, Stella stated that both drivers would receive equal treatment. "I think when it comes to these conversations about being the number one, I don't think that's a good way of approaching racing," Stella said. "We'd rather approach racing from fairness, integrity, and then see what comes from this kind of approach."

Norris' teammate, Oscar Piastri, finished fourth in Zandvoort due to traffic issues, trailing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. The Australian currently holds 179 points in the drivers' standings, 46 points behind Norris. Piastri achieved his first win in Hungary last July amidst some controversy when Norris initially ignored team orders to let Piastri pass before eventually complying.

Piastri highlighted their primary goal: "The first target is to win the Constructors' Championship." He added, "I think naturally, if we're closing the gap in the constructors', there's probably a good chance that we're both closing it in the drivers' [championship] as well." He acknowledged his close standing with Norris and expressed readiness to support team decisions if necessary later in the year.

Piastri also noted his focus on maximising performance each weekend to provide opportunities for both championships. "If there's an opportunity for myself to win the drivers' standings, then I'll try my best to make sure I'm there," he said.

McLaren's Recent Performance

McLaren has shown significant improvement with one or both drivers on the podium in their last 11 races. The upcoming Italian Grand Prix presents an opportunity for McLaren to achieve their fourth-best run in competition history (12 races) and aim for their first constructors' title since 1998.

Piastri is currently on an impressive streak of finishing 19 consecutive Grand Prix races. If he completes Monza, he will become only the second McLaren driver after Norris (21 between Abu Dhabi 2022 and Sao Paulo 2023) to finish 20 races consecutively in F1.

A couple more to bring home to MTC. #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/Bd29jCE9wb

The team's recent success has been attributed to their balanced approach and continuous improvements. This strategy has allowed them to remain competitive and consistently perform well throughout the season.

The focus remains on maintaining this momentum and striving for excellence in both individual and team standings as they progress through the remaining races of the season.