McLaren set to back Norris over Piastri in critical moments

McLaren has reaffirmed its commitment to fairness between its drivers, even as Lando Norris is in a fierce battle for the Formula 1 World Championship against Max Verstappen. Team Principal Andrea Stella made it clear that, despite Norris being in the title fight, the team will not give preferential treatment to the Briton over his teammate, Oscar Piastri.

Norris showcased McLaren’s potential by winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, outperforming Verstappen with a dominant drive and reclaiming the lead after a challenging start. This victory highlighted that McLaren is now the fastest car on the grid, surpassing the Red Bull, which had been nearly unbeatable earlier in the season. Despite Verstappen having led the standings with a comfortable margin, Norris has cut the gap to 70 points with nine races remaining.

Andrea Stella stated that McLaren will maintain a level playing field between their drivers, even as Norris closes in on the championship. “We’ve already had discussions about team orders since the first race because we always want clarity on how we will manage internal competition,” Stella said. “This happens throughout the season, and then you have to consider the drivers’ standings.”

Stella explained that the team will evaluate each race situation and provide extra support to Norris if needed, but without disadvantaging Piastri. “We have nine races ahead, and if we create a No. 1 driver, what do we do? Favor one driver over the other? That’s not a healthy way to run a team,” Stella emphasized. “We will analyze each race, and in 50-50 situations, if Lando needs a bit of extra support, we will give it to him. But the team includes Oscar, and we should not do things that are unreasonable for him.”

Norris believes that McLaren is now the fastest car after his victory in Zandvoort, where he beat Verstappen by nearly 23 seconds. To close the gap to the championship leader, he will need every possible point and potentially assistance from his teammate. Managing this dynamic will be under close scrutiny.

McLaren brought a new set of upgrades to Zandvoort, their first major development since the Miami GP. Stella believes that while Red Bull may still have an advantage on some tracks, particularly those with high-speed corners, McLaren is on track to surpass its rivals at every circuit.

The decision on how to balance internal competition while pursuing the title will be crucial to McLaren’s success this season, and how the team handles these issues will be key to their future performance.