P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren boss Andrea Stella has insisted no blame should be attached to Lando Norris over the pit call that cost him a potential win in Formula 1’s British Grand Prix. Norris looked on course to achieve an emotional home success when he overtook the two Mercedes cars when his McLaren came alive during a mid-race […]
Norris had a strong chance for victory during the race but McLaren’s cautious pit wall decisions allowed Hamilton to undercut him by pitting one lap earlier. Norris struggled to regain the lead on Soft compound tires and fell behind Verstappen on the Hard compound due to high degradation. McLaren’s team principal, Stella, admitted that the team was too cautious during the crossover period and should have pitted Norris at the same time as Hamilton. Stella acknowledged that McLaren’s compound choice and pit stop lap were not optimal, leading to Norris losing second place to Verstappen. Despite Norris’s criticism, Stella defended him and acknowledged McLaren’s hesitancy in decision-making. Stella believes that if Norris had been fitted with Medium compound tires, McLaren would have had a greater chance of winning the race, but it was not guaranteed due to Hamilton’s impressive tire management.
