Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team boss, is unyielding about the team order debacle that spoiled Oscar Piastri’s first race victory. The young Australian was allowed to take the lead in Hungary at the last minute, after teammate Lando Norris gave up the winning position. This did not happen without a struggle, although according to Stella, Norris never had another option.
Oscar Piastri’s first victory was overshadowed by the debacle with teammate Lando Norris. The latter was driving in P2 when he was the first to be called in for a pit stop. This effectively made him perform an undercut on his teammate. Norris thus took the lead, but after much insistence from the team, he conceded the victory to Piastri at the last moment. Stella later explained that McLaren drivers must always adhere to certain ‘principles’.
Team Principles in Formula 1 Racing
“We have discussions with our drivers before the race,” said the Italian team boss afterwards. “We mainly talk about principles. Managing a Formula 1 race goes far beyond simple rules like: ‘the car in front has priority at the pit stop’. You only run the risk of both drivers desperately trying to get ahead at the first corner.”
Norris as a Team Player
“Our principles during racing are incredibly important,” continued the McLaren team boss. “One of those principles – I don’t want to say too much about it – is that the team’s interest always comes first. If you don’t understand that, then you don’t belong to the McLaren Formula 1 team. It’s that simple.”
The 53-year-old Stella never doubted for a moment that Norris would give back the position to his teammate. “I know Lando well enough to know that he is a racer and a team player,” he said. “We have always been very clear about these kinds of situations. This can sometimes clash with a driver’s instinct, but the values, culture, and importance of the team will always remain paramount.”
