After the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, team boss Andrea Stella was seen in a photo with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella had full confidence in Lando Norris being a team player, as the British driver kept the lead ahead of Oscar Piastri.
Norris capitalized on a well-timed undercut during the final pit stops, causing his McLaren team to feel anxious. However, he maintained his position at the front until Lap 68, when he eventually yielded the lead to his teammate Oscar Piastri. Throughout the race, his race engineer persistently requested a position swap between them.
Andrea Stella had no doubts Lando Norris would obey team order
As the laps continued, the radio messages from race engineer Will Joseph to Norris grew more desperate, reflecting the British driver’s strong argument to maintain his lead over Piastri. The likelihood of Norris defying team orders and refusing to comply appeared to be a genuine possibility.
Norris’ decision to give up his position with only three laps remaining prevented any lingering tensions after the race, allowing the team to joyously celebrate their first 1-2 finish in three years.
Speaking to media after the race, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella said he never had any doubt Norris would relinquish the position to Piastri – a stance backed up by the Spaniard not taking to the radio to speak directly to Norris himself.
“No, I am familiar with Lando,” he responded when questioned about the situation where Norris maintains the lead and secures victory at the finish line – a advantageous position for him in the Drivers’ Championship as Norris endeavors to catch up with Max Verstappen.
“I understand that when working with a race driver, it is important to communicate effectively with all the different aspects that make up the race driver.”
However, I am fully aware that within Lando, both the race driver and the team player reside. Today, these two aspects merged flawlessly to produce the best course of action for the team, for Oscar, and for Lando himself.
From this perspective, we are extremely pleased. It is well-known that no race driver possesses the inherent inclination to respond with, “Alright, so when exactly will we proceed with it?”
“They constantly hold onto hope, yearning to be P1 in a Formula 1 Grand Prix, and they dream of the possibility that the team might grant them the opportunity.”
“However, our stance was crystal clear even prior to the race. Hence, this situation serves as undeniable evidence, showcasing and reaffirming what it truly signifies to be a member of the McLaren Formula 1 team.”
“The values presented here may sometimes clash with certain instincts of a race driver. However, the values, the culture, and the well-being of the team always remain the top priority.”
McLaren initiated the situation by opting to pit Norris first, strategically placing the British driver in a position close enough to the lead that he could potentially benefit from an undercut against Piastri. Stella clarified that Norris was given priority because the team was concerned about potential undercuts from competitors like Lewis Hamilton.
He said, “We were aware that initiating with Lando could have resulted in that scenario, but we would not have proceeded unless we were confident that it would be resolved.”
Today, being at the Hungaroring and experiencing scorching temperatures, we had two crucial factors to consider. Firstly, we aimed to avoid making an early pit stop due to the rapid deterioration of our tires. We wanted to ensure we didn’t exhaust our tire supply in case Verstappen posed a challenge towards the race’s conclusion.
Hence, our intention was to postpone the stop for as long as feasible. Additionally, there is a possibility of encountering issues during the stop. Therefore, it is essential to approach the pitstop cautiously or opt to pit only when you have a three-second advantage.
After all, if that occurs, it puts all the pressure on the pit crew. I prefer not to burden them with the responsibility in a race like today. Instead, I would rather shoulder the responsibility from the pitwall and ensure a 1-2 finish. Then, I can effectively handle the situation between the pitwall and the drivers, since we have already discussed and planned the approach to deal with such circumstances.
“I understand that the media might see this as a story when they watch it on TV. However, internally, this is an integral part of our racing approach. That’s why we place great importance on our culture, values, and mindset. We want to be prepared to handle any situation and strive to compete in the championship alongside Lando, Oscar, and McLaren.”
Although Norris seemed to resist the team order at first, he eventually succumbed to it. Stella mentioned that he would have been more worried if his driver hadn’t pushed back against the team’s decision.
“He is a race driver. Can you think of any race driver who wouldn’t have done it? I believe there are plenty who wouldn’t have done it until Lap 70,” he stated.
“If Lando had not shown his true racing spirit as ‘I’m a race driver,’ I would have been greatly worried. It is this ethos that is essential to fiercely compete against the likes of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and even Oscar himself.”
“It showcased the essence, the true nature of the race driver, but I believe it would be unjust to solely focus on the somewhat controversial aspects that may be entertaining to discuss. It would be unfair to overlook the resolution, which was handled in accordance with our racing principles.”
More on the latest Hungarian Grand Prix F1 news
Revealed: Every message as McLaren desperately pleaded with Lando Norris to obey team orders
2024 Hungarian Grand Prix – F1 results and latest standings after the race
Lando Norris: It wasn’t easy, but I was confident I would give up the place
After the Grand Prix, Norris addressed the media and discussed the thoughts that had rushed through his mind while considering the option of disregarding the team’s instructions.
“Things are always going to go through your mind because, you know… You’ve got to be selfish in this sport at times,” he said.
“You’ve got to think of yourself. That’s priority number one, is to think of yourself. I’m also a team player, so my mind was going pretty crazy at the time. I know what we’ve done in the past between Oscar and myself. He’s helped me plenty of times… I think this is a different situation. This is not someone helping one another.
“I was put into a position, and we were undoing that position change. But I mean, I’m also, and I get it, and I know a lot of people are going to say, like, the gap between me and Max is pretty big, 60, 70, 80 points or something. You know, if Red Bull and Max make the mistakes like they did today and continue to do that, and as a team we continue to improve and have weekends like we’ve had this weekend, we can turn it around. And it’s still optimistic. It’s still a big goal to say, yeah, we can close 70 points and as a driver, I can close 70 points in half a season.
“And then when you’re thinking of the seven or six points that I give away, then… It crosses your mind for sure. So it was not easy, but I also understood the situation I was in and I was quite confident always by the last lap I would have done it.”
Norris, who kept his team in suspense until the very end of the race regarding his willingness to comply, clarified that he never believed it necessary to communicate his intention to yield on the radio during the latter stages of the race.
“I don’t need to. I know what I’m going to do and what I’m not going to do,” he said.
“Of course, I’m going to just question it and challenge it, and that’s what I did. Yeah. I was going to wait until the last lap, the last corner. But then they said if there was a Safety Car all of a sudden, and I couldn’t let Oscar go through, then it would have made me look like a bit of an idiot. Yeah, then I was like, ‘yeah, it’s fair point’.
“And I let him go, two to go or something. And straight away, I let him go. So yeah, I mean, that’s just your opinion of what you hear. But that’s the same with all sports. You can make what you will of what you hear and what you think you know and that kind of stuff. But I know that I always was going to give it back unless they changed their mind on what they were saying. And they didn’t. So all good.”
Read Next: Nico Rosberg’s sarcastic Max Verstappen verdict after Lewis Hamilton Hungary GP shunt
