McLaren does not want to “destroy the balance” with team orders
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has stated that he does not want to give team orders to maximize Lando Norris' chances in the drivers' championship. According to him, such a strategy could harm the team's balance.
It is common for a team to establish a clear hierarchy among its drivers to optimize the chances of one of them winning the title. Sometimes, a driver can behave like a perfect teammate, as Valtteri Bottas did when he supported Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes between 2017 and 2021. At Red Bull, priority is given to Max Verstappen, even if the Milton Keynes team would like to find a certain homogeneity between its drivers.
At McLaren, there is no question of hierarchizing its two drivers. We don’t have a number one or number two driver. It’s a scenario that works well for the media and bar discussions, but it’s not good when you’re managing a Formula 1 team because you also have to think about the future, Andrea Stella said in an interview with Autosport. Driver management must be considered in the context of the car’s competitiveness.
The interest of the team above all
McLaren maintains a clear line of conduct: maximum collaboration. Stella adds: It is because there is a greater goal, something that goes beyond the team principal, Lando, and Oscar, and that is the interest of the team, of McLaren. This aspect is non-negotiable, whatever the situation.
To preserve this sportsmanship dear to the Woking team, neither of the two drivers will be favored. However, this could influence the evaluation of the 2024 season for Lando Norris. If he were to fail by a few points against Max Verstappen, the Briton might reconsider two key moments of the season.
The first incident occurred during the Hungarian Grand Prix, when the team asked Norris to give up the lead to his teammate in the final laps. This decision came after Norris undercut Piastri. McLaren wanted to reward the Australian, believing he deserved the win more, thus illustrating the team’s desire to treat its drivers in a fair and equitable manner.
The second one occurred more recently, during the Italian Grand Prix. While some teams limit overtaking between teammates in case of an established hierarchy, McLaren does not impose such restrictions. Piastri attacked Norris from the first lap, which benefited Charles Leclerc, who squeezed in between the two McLaren drivers. This duel was not well received by the team, as it compromised the collective result, prompting the team to clarify its strategy after the race.
A bet for the future?
McLaren is not only focused on this season. Even though the team is leading the constructors’ championship, they must stay vigilant against Red Bull and Ferrari. However, Andrea Stella’s goal is different: “I cannot know if we will win this season, but I am aware that we want to be able to win in 2025, 26, and 27, and if, by managing the 2024 season, I end up destroying the balance, I will not have a solid foundation for the years to come.”
This approach seems to be shared by the drivers. « When I hear people talking about the mathematical approach of the type “Oscar must now leave Lando behind”, I reply that Lando himself does not want Oscar to make himself available. » The two young drivers (24 years old for Norris, 23 for Piastri) clearly adhere to this strategy, with the Australian stating his readiness to help the British driver if the team asked him.
When you have two drivers working together, the team benefits from it, analyzes their director. It seems that McLaren will continue on this path, given its satisfaction with the progress of the season: Since the Miami Grand Prix, McLaren has become the team that has scored the most points in the Constructors’ Championship. The Papayas are, however, hoping for a reaction in Mexico this weekend, after the United States Grand Prix ended a streak of 14 races where at least one of the two drivers had climbed onto the podium.
