Charles Leclerc sent the fans into raptures with his victory in Monza, where the drivers who actually seemed to be the favourites for the victory on the eve were Oscar Piastri and, above all, Landon Norris. The duo McLaren who, in addition to finishing behind the Monegasque, finished the race with the Australian in 2nd place after a determined attack at the Variante della Roggia on his teammate, 3rd at the finish line and fighting for the title with Max Verstappen.
Not only McLaren CEO Zak Brown but also Team Principal have expressed their opinion on this matter. Andrea Star. In the meeting with the media after the race, the Italian engineer returned to the issue, indicating how the Woking-based company can aim not only for the Constructors’ championship (with the leadership now 8 points away), but also for the Drivers’ championship with Norris: “With the performance we have at the moment and with some of the battles we see with Red Bull, it is definitely possible – he declared – so if we can achieve both outcomes as a team, We need to put the team and Lando in a position to pursue both championships. We will have to be good at capitalising on the opportunities that Red Bull seems to be offering at the moment, not being in the usual position to compete for the podium. So I think it is definitely a useful exercise, as we do every time, to review the specifications not only of the whole race, but also of the first round, because I hope we will be in a position to have these situations frequently in the future. With the two McLarens starting at the front of the grid we need to make sure this is the best for the team and for Lando.”
At McLaren, has there been any thought of a strategy or solution that could help Norris get back in the lead after the overtaking he suffered during the first lap? An idea that Stella, however, has not considered in any way: “We have not considered the exchange of positions – he confirmed – we thought about other solutions during the race to make sure Lando had his opportunities, but not the swap. We were also still intent on putting as much pressure as possible on Leclerc, and possibly induce him to have an issue with the front left, such as a lock-up in one of the chicanes”.
For Stella, with McLaren ever closer to Red Bull and Norris to Verstappen, there are therefore rules of engagement to respect from now until the end of the championship: “We discussed with Oscar and Lando. Together we define our rules of engagement and, as I said before, we have to take a look at the first lap, but it has to be done in a competent, detailed, specific way, taking into account the videos, what the driver’s expectations were, to then see what we can learn from this situation to adjust future situations, while keeping in mind that we want to try to win the championship with Lando. I think it is now understood that McLaren can compete on circuits where it was not competitive last year. So I think it is a very competitive package overall and that this can be a very important weapon for Lando in particular in the pursuit of the championship”.
#Stella #Monza #thought #swapping #positions
