F1 | Andrea Stella sets the rules for McLaren drivers ahead of Dutch GP. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explains the balance between allowing Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to race freely.

McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, has laid down clear boundaries regarding the battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who will start on the front row in the Dutch Grand Prix. Stella emphasizes that McLaren’s internal rules remain intact, and the fundamental principle is that the team’s interests always take precedence over those of the individual drivers, especially with Max Verstappen not far behind.

Both McLaren cars are on the front row, with Oscar Piastri surprisingly ahead of the favored Lando Norris. In anticipation of the Dutch Grand Prix, Andrea Stella offers a perspective that is much less straightforward than it might seem from the outside.

The undeniable fact is the superiority of the McLaren cars, while the competition between the two drivers fighting for the championship is wider open than ever. Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ultimately ended up just two-tenths behind the MCL39s. Could this have been influenced by the wind, similar to when McLaren lost pole position to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in Budapest?

Stella commented, “In Budapest, I wasn’t surprised that we didn’t achieve pole due to the wind. Comparing the gusts in Q3 with those in Q2 during a simulation, we saw that so much aerodynamic performance was lost it cost around three to four tenths per lap. In fact, everyone’s performance was affected except for Leclerc. The difference here compared to Hungary is that the wind was strong: conditions were challenging, but relatively consistent between qualifying sessions. The drivers adapted to understand where the wind was blowing to maximize the car’s potential. Even with gusts, it was clear that Lando and Oscar were separated by only 12 milliseconds on their first Q3 lap and 5 milliseconds on the second, which shows that their performance was not determined by the gusts.”

With the Constructors’ Championship essentially secured, wouldn’t it make sense to let the drivers race freely?

Stella explained, “The way we operate at McLaren is based on respecting certain principles and values that have been established over time. This is the result of a prolonged effort involving not only the drivers but also the entire team. According to these principles, the engagement rules define how we race and reflect everyone’s contribution.”

So, what does this mean exactly?

“The drivers are not free to do whatever they want. They are free to race in the sense that we want to give them the opportunity to showcase their talent, abilities, and ambitions, but all of this must happen within the limits of the team’s interests, which come first. In short, they are ‘free to race’ but they ‘cannot do whatever they want.’ This approach will not change even if we win the Constructors’ Championship.”

How does Stella explain Oscar’s reaction after Lando had consistently been ahead during practice sessions?

“Actually, even when Oscar was momentarily behind Lando, I believe the gap was not significant. We knew, and the drivers also understood, that the situation was very balanced because each driver had corners where they could gain an advantage by observing the other’s work.”

There haven’t been major setup changes, but a better feeling with the tricky Zandvoort circuit…

“Yes, both Oscar and Lando have found improved performance in driving and adapting to the wind rather than through any setup adjustments.”

With overtaking being particularly difficult at Zandvoort, could strategy decide the race?

“Strategy is one of the variables through which the competition between Lando and Oscar can be expressed and developed. But let me say one thing first: in the team’s interest, we must ensure we beat Max, who is not far away, just two-tenths behind. With overtaking difficulties and potentially variable weather conditions, we need to secure the best team result. Even regarding strategies, we have rules. I won’t share them, but any decision taken has always respected internal agreements.”

“Here too, the strategy is open between one and two stops. The topic does not only concern our drivers because Max, for example, has saved a set of soft tires from qualifying, which could be a very powerful weapon in the race if used at the right moment.”