P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren question value behind Norris Piastri ‘headline’ decision
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has questioned the necessity of having a “headline” number one driver, expressing doubts about its effectiveness in the “real world”. The Woking-based team has refrained from appointing Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri as their lead driver this season and has rarely implemented team orders. One notable exception was at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Norris was instructed to give up his race lead to Piastri, leading to criticism when points were lost in races like Monza. Piastri’s aggressive overtake of Norris at Monza resulted in a revision of their racing rules, as McLaren missed out on a potential one-two finish. Stella emphasizes the importance of teamwork between Norris and Piastri in the constructors’ championship battle, downplaying the notion that McLaren now has the strongest car on the grid despite their competitive showing at Monza. Stella believes that the collaborative effort of both drivers could lead them to success in both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships, acknowledging Norris’s potential to challenge Max Verstappen for the title.
