McLaren Boss Reiterates Team Comes First as Norris and Piastri Battle for Title

McLaren boss Andrea Stella emphasizes team interests over individual drivers' aspirations as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri battle for the title.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella emphasized that team interests would take precedence over individual drivers' aspirations this season. This statement came after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished second and third behind Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix. Stella addressed questions about the team's strategy, reminding reporters that the championship consists of 24 races. “We are here first of all to beat the other teams and put McLaren in a very strong position. When McLaren is in a strong position, then that's the best position for the two drivers to pursue their aspirations. This is very clear to the team, very clear to the drivers,” Stella said.

Piastri contacted the pit wall on the radio in the latter stages of the race, suggesting he had the pace to overtake Verstappen and implying that Norris should be asked to let him pass. However, Stella stated that it was not clear Piastri was significantly faster, noting that Norris was managing his tires. Piastri expressed satisfaction with Stella's response. The result saw Norris retain the lead in the drivers' standings by a single point, while McLaren opened up a 50-point gap over Red Bull in the manufacturers' title race.

“It's important that when we are not in condition to win, we keep racing in a robust way. Like if you can't win, finish on the podium. And in the long term, if you keep performing like this, I think this will be rewarding,” Stella added. Norris reflected on the race, stating that it was effectively decided when Verstappen pipped him to pole position with a stunning final lap in qualifying on Saturday. “I could see Max quite clearly for the whole race but just couldn't make any inroads,” the Briton said.

Norris noted that while McLaren's pace was slightly better, it wasn't enough to overcome the challenges of passing. He said, “I think our pace was probably slightly better but not enough to get through the dirty air, kind of get into the DRS, and then passing is a whole other story because it's pretty much impossible to pass here.” Piastri, who won the previous race in China, expressed disappointment with his birthday present, citing qualifying third on Saturday as a decisive factor. “I think obviously the result is not exactly what I wanted, but I think in terms of the pace and the way I achieved the result is what I wanted,” the Australian said.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella reiterated that team interests would trump those of individual drivers this season after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished second and third behind Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. https://t.co/3bYqQyHMaj pic.twitter.com/QuisriVJDW

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 6, 2025

Piastri reflected on the impact of qualifying on his Sunday result, stating, “I think yesterday was the day that kind of dictated your weekend a lot and I didn't get the most out of the car. So that unfortunately kind of dictated a lot of what I could do today, and that's led to the result I've got.”