P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has admitted that he sees “some logic” behind the external calls to start prioritising Lando Norris’ Formula 1 championship chances in 2024. The role the McLaren drivers almost touching on the opening lap had on it losing the Italian Grand Prix race win has reignited the discussion surrounding team orders. Norris […]
The battle between the McLaren drivers during the opening lap of the Italian Grand Prix raised concerns about team orders and their impact on the race outcome. Lando Norris lost his pole position advantage when Oscar Piastri overtook him on the outside at Turn 4, allowing Charles Leclerc to pass as well. This forced Norris into a two-stop strategy, while Ferrari’s one-stop strategy proved successful in securing the win. McLaren’s team boss Andrea Stella announced a review of Piastri’s move to ensure it aligned with the team’s rules of engagement. Despite the intense competition, both Stella and McLaren CEO Brown emphasized the importance of racing each other hard yet fairly without making contact, as per the team’s principles. Norris, leading in points above Piastri, is seen as McLaren’s primary contender for the championship despite ongoing challenges from Red Bull. While supporting Norris appears logical, McLaren remains focused on taking each race as it comes without implementing team orders.
