P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Stella: Leclerc finished ahead of Norris on merit in F1 Australian GP
Third-placed Norris believes he could have overtaken Leclerc in Melbourne if McLaren had used an undercut strategy, as Ferrari and Piastri did. However, Ferrari’s Stella implied that the SF-24 is simply a faster car than McLaren’s MCL60. Stella stated that the decision not to swap Norris and Piastri was to prevent any risk of a crash, rather than a belief they could catch Leclerc. Stella mentioned the unpredictability of the hard tires and the impact on the race. McLaren is optimistic about their upgrade package for either Imola or the Miami GP to close the gap with Ferrari. Stella emphasized that the small margin between the two cars is positive and promising for future races.
