Typically speaking, F1 teams are harshly criticised for using team orders. Mercedes, for example, were often lambasted whenever instructions were given to Valtteri Bottas to make way for Lewis Hamilton. However, with McLaren fighting for both Championships, Zak Brown and Andrea Stella are now being criticised for the opposite – letting their drivers race.
McLaren will take things “one race at a time”
Several factors have prevented McLaren from taking more points in both Championships. The majority, if not all, are self-inflicted.
Perhaps the team’s biggest limitation has been poor strategy. Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes habitually execute better races than the Papaya squad.
The Italian GP was the latest example of McLaren failing to accurately read a race. Whilst Ferrari managed to pull off the one-stop strategy, Zak Brown’s team blinked first and gave away track position with Piastri’s second stop.
In addition to operational deficiencies, there is ongoing debate about whether Norris should be prioritised by the team. This topic has dominated F1 news and media in recent weeks, and will likely continue to do so until the 2024 season ends.
When asked about if McLaren should put all their eggs in one basket and support Norris, this was Zak Brown’s response:
“There’s some logic behind that. There’s also a lot of racing to go,” he told Speed City Broadcasting.
“Oscar [Piastri] has helped Lando [Norris] a lot over the course of the year in different ways.
“Sometimes that’s visible, sometimes that’s not. But Andrea [Stella] and I just take it one race at a time.”
As with any inter-team dynamic, the relationship between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is in constant evolution.
When a team moves from fighting to the midfield to contending for the Championship, the stakes inevitably rise between teammates. This is especially true when both drivers are fighting for wins.
To a large extent, Norris and Piastri consistently being at the front is why McLaren are on the verge of leading the constructors’ standings.
However, with Max Verstappen potentially vulnerable, the support Norris receives in the driver’s title will be closely followed.
