McLaren boss makes driver priority stance clear amid Verstappen charge
Andrea Stella was asked if he will prioritise one McLaren driver over the other in the closing races.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has said the team will only prioritise one of Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris if the opportunity for the other is “closed by mathematics.”
Max Verstappen has reeled in 64 points on Piastri’s World Championship lead and, while the Australian still leads both Norris and Verstappen in the standings, it is the Red Bull driver with the momentum heading into the final five rounds.
McLaren: Only ‘mathematics’ will force driver preference
McLaren has been steadfast in its commitment to fairness between both its drivers this season, with “repercussions” promised after Norris made contact while passing Piastri on the opening lap in Singapore earlier this month.
The gap between Piastri and Norris shrunk to 14 points after the United States Grand Prix in Austin, but the team has been questioned on more than one occasion about if and when it will prioritise one driver over another for the title, even more so with Verstappen in form.
Stella, however, reiterated the team’s commitment to allowing both drivers to race, taking the view that the gap to Verstappen behind can go up as well as down.
Because of that possibility, McLaren will look to make the most of each weekend as it comes.
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“Well, the fact that there are five races and two Sprints means that we can also increase the gap to Max. That’s how I see things,” Stella told PlanetF1.com and other outlets in Austin.
“I think we have good tracks coming for our car, and I think we have more that we could have exploited out of our car, and to some extent that the drivers themselves, I think they recognise themselves that they could have done a better job at some of the previous races.
“I think we look at the next five races as opportunities to increase the gap on Max.
“When it comes to having to make a call as to a driver, this will only be read by mathematics. You know, we talked before about the experience, and leaning on the experience, I can recall at least [in] 2007, 2010, in which you go to the last race, and it’s actually the third [placed driver, ed.] that wins the championship.
“So we’re not going to close the door, unless this is closed by mathematics.”
Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock
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