Stella says Norris was right to ‘challenge’ the McLaren team’s orders in Qatar

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed why her team asked drivers to hold position rather than fight in the final stages of the Qatar GP and why Lando Norris had every right to reverse this decision.

McLaren followed up its double podium finish in Japan by again putting both drivers on the podium in Qatar, with Oscar Piastri second and crossing the line just over a second ahead of third-placed Norris.

The two were less than two seconds apart for much of the final quarter, and as Norris sought to close the gap on his teammate, he received a message from the McLaren pit wall telling him to stay on. maintained his position behind Piastri.

Explaining why the team made the call, Stella said:
“The drivers were very close all weekend, within a few tenths of the entire weekend. And even [during the race], they were once again very close. This is a big result for McLaren.

“Lando went from P10 to the podium, and we are in a place where we must not forget that in 2021, Lando was in P4, and with just a few laps to go he punctured a tire and went to the finish line in P9. So you just do it’ don’t want to take that risk.

“You don’t want to encourage your driver to attack and they will get a track limits penalty. As soon as you tell them to push, they will use the curb because it makes the track much faster. So we just advise you to avoid riding on the sidewalk and think about taking it home, and both drivers understood that very well.

“And Lando was very happy in the first lap, he was very complimentary of the team, so it’s a strength that our drivers help us manage these situations proactively and constructively. ”

However, while Norris may have been praised for the first lap, he wasn’t too pleased with the team’s calls throughout the race. But Stella says that’s exactly how things work at McLaren, as they encourage drivers to share their thoughts.

“First of all, regarding the message that you heard, that is part of our protocol because when we give instructions to drivers, we ask them to challenge us because we want make sure we understand your perspective,” Stella said.

“Challenge us, tell us exactly what we think, we will reassess the situation and get back to you and when we get back to you, be persistent. And that’s exactly what happened today. This is why you told us we were asking pilots to challenge us.

Piastri was McLaren’s leading driver for much of the weekend, beating Norris in qualifying and the Sprint Cup before winning the 100km. When asked how Norris reacted to Piastri’s appearance, Stella replied:
“First of all, Lando himself knows that Oscar is a unique talent.

“You don’t see this kind of talent in Formula 1 every day. Therefore, it is an absolute reference even if he is a rookie, and sometimes Lando knows that he will set the bar very high. “But if you are a champion like Lando, you will have to look at this from a positive perspective because it gives you a lot of information to continue to improve. There are no world champions in the sport Which sport wins everything?

“For the driver, it’s faster in every corner, faster in every lap, faster in every session. To me, Lando sees this as a slightly uncomfortable feeling but it’s the discomfort you need to be the best. Being a champion is a curse and a blessing.”