McLaren weighs up trust and tactics as Norris-Piastri clashes persist
The pressure is piling up at McLaren as the team navigates the delicate balance between letting its two young stars race and protecting the integrity of the team’s championship bid. Andrea Stella, the team principal, acknowledged that the way McLaren manages Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the closing stages of the season could be decisive for both the driver relationship and the outcome of the title fight.
At the Singapore Grand Prix, the dynamic between Norris and Piastri again came under scrutiny after a first-lap incident in which Norris collided with his teammate while attempting to overtake Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. Norris clipped the car ahead, deflecting into Piastri and briefly jeopardising their positions. Norris finished third, with Piastri in fourth, a result that underscored how quickly fortunes can shift in a race where margins are razor-thin.
The Australian, who is renowned for his measured approach and disciplined public stance, did not mince words in the immediate aftermath, arguing that it would contravene McLaren’s most sacred rule—“let them race”—to punish either driver for choosing an opportunistic line. Norris, for his part, pushed back with a blunt assessment: there was nothing wrong with taking the inside line, especially when the alternative opened up a larger gap ahead of him.
McLaren chose not to alter the running order after the clash, a decision Stella characterised as consistent with their on-track assessment at the time: Norris was not at fault because he was forced into Piastri by the Verstappen contact. Nonetheless, Stella stressed that the team would conduct a thorough, data-driven review to determine whether the initial interpretation still holds when viewed through both drivers’ perspectives.
“The review needs to be very detailed, very analytical, and it needs to take into account the point of view of our two drivers,” Stella said. “We will form a common opinion and we will see whether it confirms our initial interpretation, or if there is something else that we should compute. We need to be accurate because there is a lot at stake, not only the championship points but the trust of our drivers and the way we operate as a team.”
With Norris closing the gap to Piastri to three points in Singapore and six races remaining, the title run-in threatens to become increasingly tense. The margin is tight enough that the way McLaren manages internal rivalries may prove as influential as any overtaking manoeuvre on track.
The most recent tactical test for McLaren came at Monza, where Piastri, by request, moved over for Norris after a slow pit stop cost the latter a place—a move that reflected the team’s ongoing attempt to maintain fairness while preserving the ability for the two drivers to race. Stella acknowledged that the balance is becoming more complex with each new scenario, especially as the drivers’ personal ambitions naturally diverge as they chase a championship dream.
“When you are racing as a team, you cannot have exactly the same interests for the two drivers because they want to pursue their aspirations,” Stella said. “We want to protect this ‘let them race’ concept and we know as soon as you adopt this concept you face difficulties.”
As the season edges toward its climax, McLaren’s leadership faces a demanding test: safeguarding driver trust while implementing a framework that allows both Norris and Piastri to push for wins and podiums without undermining the team’s shared objective. The coming races will reveal whether the revised review process leads to a more harmonised approach or forces the team to accept a new, perhaps more nuanced, interpretation of “letting them race.”
Outlook for the title run-in
With the gap between Norris and Piastri a moving target and the championship still very much within reach, McLaren’s handling of its drivers will be scrutinised as closely as any pit strategy. The team’s ultimate aim remains clear: maximise points while preserving a trusted, cooperative environment that can sustain a late-season surge.
