Team orders
The eve of the Baku weekend was conditioned by a shower of chatter and discussions about the possibility, within the McLaren team, of start giving team orders with the aim of facilitate Lando Norris’ championship comeback to the detriment of Max Verstappen. In fact, in Azerbaijan the team used a driver in a ‘tactical’ way to favor the success of the other papaya car; it’s a shame though that Norris, instead of the role of captain, found himself playing that of a gregarious.
The Englishman, penalised on Saturday by his elimination in Q1, has in fact shown a remarkable team spirit accepting the request, coming from the McLaren pit wall, of slow down Sergio Perez’s Red Bull for at least one lapwith the aim of ensuring that Piastri – who was ahead of the two and had to pit – could exit the pit lane ahead of the Mexican’s RB20, which was particularly fast at that moment.
Norris perfect performer
Norris didn’t bat an eyelid and actually said performed its task to perfectionreceiving for this also a public praise from team principal Andrea Stellawho essentially attributed to his #4 a merit “fundamental” in Piastri’s success. Listening to the radio communications from Norris and his track engineer, you can see how the British driver is asked to slow down his rival “without wasting too much time“, but it is still admirable how a driver second in the World Championship and already involved in a difficult comeback on the track has put himself at the service of the team.
The effectiveness of the maneuver was indirectly confirmed by Perez himselfwho instead complained on the radio about the ‘block’ suffered by Norris which prevented him from staying ahead of Piastri despite his excellent pace.
The radio team
Joseph: “Lando, can you do something to block Perez in the central sector without wasting too much time?”:
Norris: “Yes, for how long?”
Joseph: “One or two laps. For this lap.”
#Norris #plays #gregarious #Stella #applauds
