P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren boss Andrea Stella has revealed that the team’s call to swap drivers in F1’s Italian GP ensured it remained “in compliance with our principles”.
McLaren’s decision to swap drivers during the Italian Grand Prix was made to uphold their principles, according to team boss Andrea Stella.
The team found themselves in a complex situation when they pitted Oscar Piastri before Lando Norris, resulting in Norris falling behind.
Piastri followed the team’s instruction to relinquish the position to his teammate, despite it reducing his championship lead.
Stella clarified that the decision was based on fairness and consistency with McLaren’s values in the title battle.
The team aimed to sequence the pitstops strategically but did not anticipate a swap of positions.
The comparison was drawn to a similar situation in the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, where Norris also gave up a position to Piastri after a pitstop.
McLaren plans to review the circumstances and reinforce their principles accordingly.
