Andrea Stella Defends Lando Norris, Admits McLaren’s Pit Call Mistake in British Grand Prix
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has come out in support of Lando Norris, shifting the blame away from the British driver for the pit call that cost him a potential win in the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.
Norris had been on course for an emotional home victory when his McLaren came alive during a mid-race downpour, overtaking both Mercedes cars. However, the team’s indecisiveness on the pit wall when the track dried allowed Hamilton to pit one lap earlier on lap 38 and undercut Norris.
The McLaren driver was unable to catch up with Hamilton on the Soft compound, and the high degradation experienced left him vulnerable to Max Verstappen’s attack on the Hard compound. Stella conceded that the team was too cautious during the crossover period, echoing similar mistakes made in Canada last month.
“In hindsight, with Lando, the right thing to do was definitely to pit at the same time as Hamilton,” Stella admitted in a post-race debrief. “But we wanted to have a very safe transition onto the dry tyres, and we lost a bit of time at the pit stop. We thought that with one lap more, we could still keep the lead in fairness.”
Despite Norris’ 4.5-second pit stop, Stella denied that a smoother stop would have retained the lead, instead pointing to the team’s incorrect pit lap and compound choice as the main culprits. The switch to Softs ultimately cost Norris second spot to Verstappen.
“It’s not enough, and this doesn’t guarantee that when going to corner three or four, you would still be ahead,” Stella said, reflecting on the tardy pit stop. “Like I say, this is another one where, with the benefit of hindsight, if I could do the race again, I would pit at the same time as Hamilton and Verstappen.”
Stella absolved Norris of any blame, citing the team’s failure to take responsibility in its decision-making. “We wanted to check also with Lando what his preference was, what we should be going after. But in fairness, as a matter of fact, it wasn’t that tricky because Verstappen on a Hard compound managed the transition to the dry tyres without big issues.”
When asked if fitting the Medium tyres would have secured the win, Stella claimed it wasn’t guaranteed but acknowledged that Norris would have had a greater chance. “It’s not guaranteed because Lewis managed to keep the tyres in good shape, so you have to overtake. I think we could have got in the gearbox of Lewis, but overtaking is a slightly different matter.”
Formula 1 today has once again seen strategy play a crucial role, and Stella’s admission serves as a valuable lesson for the team as they look to bounce back in the next Formula 1 qualifying session. Stay up to date with the latest Formula 1 news and keep an eye on the Formula 1 tyres situation as the season unfolds.
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