P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren boss Andrea Stella has denied the team should regrets its decision to pit Lando Norris before the F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix was red-flagged.
Norris lost his pole position advantage to George Russell at the start of the race, but he remained in pursuit of the Mercedes driver as they created a significant lead over the rest of the field. The race dynamics shifted when Mercedes and McLaren decided to pit their drivers on Lap 24 due to worsening rainfall, despite the Virtual Safety Car period having already ended, causing them to lose several positions that they couldn’t reclaim. A red flag triggered by Franco Colapinto’s crash on Lap 32 allowed drivers to change tires, benefiting Max Verstappen who won from 17th on the grid, and the two Alpines who secured a double podium. McLaren’s team principal, Stella, defended the decision to pit, highlighting the challenging conditions that led to the circumstances resulting from the red flag. Norris faced a series of setbacks during the race, ultimately finishing in sixth place due to brake lock-up issues on restarts. Stella acknowledged McLaren’s lack of competitiveness in wet conditions, despite Norris securing pole position in similar weather earlier in the weekend.
