Andrea Stella and Zak Brown both commented on McLaren’s remarkable one-two finish after the 2025 Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which turned out to be an unforgettable day for Lando Norris, while it proved frustrating for Oscar Piastri, who was penalized during the race.
Despite securing another impressive one-two result, the Team Principal and the Chief Executive Officer of the McLaren Formula 1 Team admitted to feeling mixed emotions after the event at the iconic Silverstone Circuit.
While British racing driver Lando Norris was understandably overjoyed after claiming his first-ever home Grand Prix victory in front of a passionate crowd, his Australian teammate Oscar Piastri was left disappointed. The young Australian driver was handed a ten-second time penalty midway through the race, which he later described as “not very fair.”
That time penalty proved decisive. The time Oscar Piastri lost during his pit stop, as a result of the sanction, was just enough to allow teammate Lando Norris to regain the lead. This came despite the fact that the No. 81 McLaren car, driven by Piastri, had led the majority of the race up to that point.
Here is what Andrea Stella and Zak Brown had to say following the race.
Andrea Stella’s comments
Even though a one-two finish is always a dream result for any Formula 1 team—especially one based in Woking like McLaren—and has now extended their points advantage in the Constructors’ Championship to an impressive 238 points, Andrea Stella’s joy was slightly dampened by the outcome for Oscar Piastri.
The Italian Team Principal explained: “Both of our drivers drove extremely well today, essentially without any issues throughout the race. Oscar Piastri made a very aggressive start, taking the lead in a deserved manner. Unfortunately, the penalty prevented him from converting that into a race win. This time, the victory went to Lando Norris.”
Andrea Stella continued: “I am certain that today is an incredibly special day for Lando Norris, winning the British Grand Prix at home. It’s a moment he will never forget. First and second place for McLaren—it’s a hugely positive day overall. We are really happy and this is definitely something worth celebrating.”
The penalty for Oscar Piastri was issued due to an incident that occurred during a safety car phase. The race stewards judged that the McLaren driver had braked too harshly before the race restart, an action they described as “irregular,” and as a result, they handed down a ten-second time penalty.
Andrea Stella further clarified the team’s position on the matter, saying: “We certainly made our case known to race control, especially considering that we believe the deployment of the Safety Car was somewhat late.”
He added: “That timing did not provide the leading car with much room to manage the pack and execute the restart procedure properly. In our opinion, the penalty was on the harsh side. Right now, there is not much we can do about it—we just have to accept it with caution.”
He concluded by saying: “It was a tough race for Oscar, particularly considering how well he performed today. He truly drove at a very high level. But we are only halfway through the 2025 season, and there are many more opportunities ahead. I believe this will give Oscar even greater motivation going forward.”
Zak Brown’s comments
McLaren’s Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown also shared his thoughts after the conclusion of the race. He said: “I could not be happier for Lando Norris, and I could not be happier for the team as a whole. However, I am definitely disappointed for Oscar Piastri. He drove an incredible race today.”
Lando Norris’s victory at Silverstone has had a direct impact on the standings in the Drivers’ Championship. Just two races ago, Oscar Piastri held a 22-point lead over Norris. But with two consecutive wins now under his belt, the British driver has closed the gap, reducing the deficit to just eight points.
Zak Brown elaborated: “If we can continue to extend our lead as a team, we want to let the drivers determine who wins the World Championship.”
He continued: “If it comes down to them deciding it on track, then the best driver will win. And both Lando and Oscar are very clean racers, which is great to see. You never get the impression that either of them is going to force the other off the track. They will fight hard, there will be mistakes along the way, but I believe this is going to be an epic battle all the way to the final race of the season.”
Leave a Reply