McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has shared a key principle of his strategy to prevent conflict as the championship battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris intensifies.
At the Spanish Grand Prix in June, Piastri finished ahead of Norris in a McLaren one-two, extending his lead over his teammate in the Drivers` Championship to 10 points. Crucially, their nearest rival, reigning champion Max Verstappen, finished 10th and scored only one point, placing the Red Bull driver 49 points behind the leader heading into the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
The Barcelona race proved highly positive for McLaren. Their strong performance dismissed concerns that new technical regulations restricting front wing flexibility would undermine their impressive start to the season and allow drivers like Verstappen to close the gap. Furthermore, a moment of frustration from Verstappen, who collided with George Russell`s Mercedes and received a 10-second penalty, provided the McLaren pair with valuable breathing space in the standings.
However, this situation has a potential downside: the growing likelihood of a championship race primarily between the two McLaren drivers could increase tension within the team, as both Piastri and Norris are striving for their first world title.
Speaking after the race in Barcelona, Stella commented that managing Formula 1 drivers competing for a championship in the same fast car is inherently challenging. However, he feels they have managed it effectively thus far, enabling both drivers to demonstrate their abilities and speed, resulting in a positive period.
Stella`s View on Piastri`s “Cheeky” Remark: “Only Minor”
The closest instance of friction between the McLaren drivers in Spain occurred during qualifying. Lando Norris appeared to benefit from a slipstream from Piastri at the start of his first fast lap in Q3. Piastri, clearly surprised to see his teammate starting a flying lap right behind him as he finished his own, described it as “cheeky” over team radio.
Any potential annoyance Piastri might have felt was likely lessened by him setting a faster lap than Norris on their second Q3 runs to secure pole position. The pair were later seen joking about the incident in the post-session press conference.
Stella stated that the incident served as a valuable chance to reinforce to the drivers the importance of voicing their opinions on any contentious matter, no matter how minor. He explained, “We always tell our drivers, don`t keep anything to yourselves. Anything, say it openly. Say what you think.” He added that while the qualifying situation itself wasn`t highly controversial, it hadn`t been specifically discussed beforehand, and they aim to avoid surprising the drivers with unplanned scenarios.
Stella concluded that the team needs to learn from this, saying, “So there`s a bit of responsibility on the team rather than the drivers. We need to do more preparation and be even better prepared for the upcoming races, which will certainly be interesting.”
Pre-Race Briefings Not Getting More Difficult
Although he anticipates an “interesting” phase ahead for McLaren, Stella maintains that currently, the team`s pre-race briefings are not becoming more challenging. The Spanish Grand Prix was the first time since the season opener that both McLaren drivers were on the front row, which Stella concedes necessitates extra reminders about racing conduct.
He stated, “The [pre-race] briefing isn`t getting more difficult.” He clarified that the discussions are consistent, but starting side-by-side with a long run to the first corner naturally requires going over the details of their agreed racing approach. He expressed gratitude to Lando and Oscar, saying, “But so far I can only be very grateful to Lando and Oscar, who have approached this internal competition with a great sense of responsibility – and pretty much sticking precisely to our racing principles and approach.”
Wesley Dunham 
Gilbert Pendleton