Stella explains why McLaren asked Piastri to let Norris through

McLaren asked Oscar Piastri to let Lando Norris through on lap eight of the United States Grand Prix to give Norris a chance to attack the cars ahead, team principal Andrea Stella said. In the opening phase, Piastri was losing about a second per lap to leader Kimi Antonelli and could not keep up with George Russell. Norris then pulled away by four seconds over the next seven laps.

Stella said the team had discussed the possibility before the race: if Norris was behind Piastri and Piastri could not keep up with the cars ahead, McLaren might give Norris a chance to attack. He also said Norris had been a little quicker over the weekend.

Stella connected the call to Austin’s changing conditions. He described Piastri as someone who builds pace from lap to lap once he has reference points, but said each lap in Austin was different and challenged that strength. Norris, in Stella’s assessment, was particularly adaptable when the car slid.

Stella said McLaren had reinforced its team-first priorities after Piastri and Norris collided in the Singapore sprint. The target, as he described it, is for both drivers to return to the front row and fight for wins before the team manages their internal competition.