McLaren Formulation 1 workforce boss Andrea Stella believes Lando Norris blocking Sergio Perez performed an important half in Oscar Piastri’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory.
Piastri was shadowing Ferrari’s chief Charles Leclerc within the first stint of a one-stop race when third-placed Sergio Perez tried to undercut the McLaren driver by being the primary to pit on lap 14.
Slightly than responding instantly, Piastri stayed out for 2 extra laps earlier than his lap 16 pitstop, which noticed him at risk of dropping second to the Purple Bull.
However within the wake of McLaren backing Norris in his title bid in opposition to Max Verstappen, Norris really helped Piastri in Baku.
Having began fifteenth on the tougher tyres, Norris had fallen a pitstop behind Perez and noticed the Mexican come out behind him after his cease. As requested by his race engineer, Norris tried to carry up Perez for 2 laps, which allowed Piastri to make his pitstop and nonetheless come out forward of the Purple Bull.
Piastri’s fast in- and out-laps additionally lower his deficit to chief Leclerc as soon as the Ferrari driver pitted, and on lap 20 the Australian made a late lunge to the within of Flip 1 to take the lead of the race, which he would find yourself defending for a second profession win.
McLaren workforce principal Stella felt Norris’ actions could properly have been key to Piastri successful the race, as dropping behind Perez would have robbed the Australian of the prospect to move Leclerc earlier than his tyres began fading an excessive amount of in soiled air.
“Perez was undercutting and successfully, with out Lando’s assist Perez might have pitted [and stayed] forward of Oscar, and the race might have unfolded in a very completely different method,” Stella mentioned.
“So, I believe 50% of Oscar’s victory at the moment is shared with Lando and it simply exhibits that we’re approaching racing as one workforce. We had conversations earlier than the weekend the place we’d bias by some means. However we strategy each weekend making an attempt to maximise the outcome for the workforce, and if one driver wants assist, the opposite driver will do it.”
Stella admitted he first thought Piastri’s hair-raising move on Leclerc in Flip 1 would find yourself within the run-off space.
“After I watched it reside and I noticed him going, my intuition mentioned he will go lengthy, as a result of the delay within the braking level,” he revealed.
“He got here from fairly far, and nonetheless he negotiated the apex. So yeah, I used to be stunned. However Oscar is all the time stunning us together with his skill, and I might say at the moment, he gave additionally an illustration of his psychological power.
“He drove like a driver that has loads of expertise, that has been underneath this type of strain earlier than, that may look with one eye on the mirror, with the opposite eye at the place the braking level is.”
Andrea Stella, Staff Principal, McLaren F1 Staff, the McLaren workforce rejoice in Parc Ferme
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photos
Poignantly, Piastri’s win and Norris’ sturdy restoration to fourth allowed McLaren to take over the lead of the constructors’ title for the primary time in 10 years because it bids to defeat Purple Bull, opening up a 20-point lead.
“As a milestone, it is positively big,” Stella added. “As a result of we do not have to overlook that we had been final once we began final season, and now we lead the classification.
“That has been attainable due to the exhausting work, and the standard of the work of the complete workforce, the assist from our shareholders, our companions, the followers – you obtain this since you obtain it collectively.”
A small worth to pay for McLaren’s Baku success was a 5000 euro high-quality for a few of its crew members heading in the direction of parc ferme to rejoice earlier than the tip of the race, which was penalised by the stewards.
