McLaren team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown have commendably maintained the peace between their two drivers as the stakes have increased. But they know this will become more and more difficult.
Oscar Piastri was no match for Lando Norris when he first joined McLaren. The Englishman scored more than double the points in 2023 (205 vs 97), and seven podiums to Piastri’s two.
The gap predictably narrowed in year two, with Piastri beating Norris in seven of the 24 races. That included the Hungarian GP, where he picked up his first win after a team orders dispute.
Some believe Piastri held a grudge against McLaren for tarnishing his maiden victory as they tried to convince Norris to return the place. By eventually doing so, he maintained his strong relationship with the Australian.
Piastri’s latest leap has surprised the F1 paddock, and potentially his teammate too. After Norris sustained terminal damage in a collision between the two in Montreal, the former F2 champion is 22 points clear at the top of the standings.
McLaren’s front axle upgrade causes ‘unrest’ between the drivers
McLaren were braced for their two drivers to tangle long before they did. And Norris spared them a major headache by immediately taking responsibility, leaving Piastri, who continued and finished fourth, with no real grievances.
But the contact overshadowed an intriguing storyline from the weekend. McLaren introduced a revised front suspension to help Norris, who had reported a lack of confidence in the front end of the car.
As Piastri said, this was a new part rather than an upgrade. And he opted to stick with the original design.
According to Auto Motor und Sport journalist Michael Schmidt, this has caused ‘a bit of unrest’ within the garage.
“They changed the geometry of the front axle,” he explained. “Norris said it was slightly better for his feeling.
“Piastri has gone back to the old one, because he said, ‘I can’t tell the difference, but I never had a problem with the old suspension anyway’.
“That’s also causing a bit of unrest, because Piastri won’t switch to the new front axle unless he suddenly realises that Norris is driving with him crazy with it.”
Andrea Stella warned Lando Norris before he hit Oscar Piastri
McLaren don’t have a number one driver, so Piastri may question why they’ve allocated resources to a Norris-specific problem. The team could argue that improving his feeling boosts their chances of winning both titles, though that looks likely regardless.
Ralf Schumacher thinks McLaren have already made the decision to back Piastri. But their Canada updates would suggest they’re determined to give Norris all he needs to fight for the title.
One could make the case that Norris’ biggest issue this season is mental rather than mechanical, though. The crash last Sunday cost him 10 points and was born from a glaring misjudgement.
What’s more, Stella warned Norris to prioritise damage limitation after a poor qualifying. He wanted the 25-year-old to bring home the points without any major risks, but that advice wasn’t followed.
