McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has high praise for his two drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. He likens his relationship with them to that of a parent and his two sons, emphasizing that comments about favoring one driver over the other are, in his view, incorrect.
“When you’re in my role as team boss, it’s like having two sons. And someone then asks: ‘Which of the two is your favorite son?’ But they’re my two sons! How can you say which one is the favorite?” Stella shared on the Beyond the Grid podcast. He sees the often-asked questions about ‘the favorite driver’ as superficial. “Sometimes, when I hear or read such comments, I find them really quite superficial. I think some people don’t understand what it means to have two drivers who are on this Formula 1 journey with you,” the Italian explains.
Stella also emphasizes the trust both drivers have in the team. McLaren had little to offer in the past, yet both decided to commit to the team. “We didn’t have much to offer, and yet Lando committed to McLaren. He trusted that we would transform the team. That sent a strong signal to everyone, to the whole team. A message of trust. In the same way, Oscar sent a similar signal when he said: ‘I am committed to McLaren’, while we actually didn’t have much to offer in 2023 either.”
Battle for the Title
McLaren has already secured the constructor’s title, but the two McLaren drivers are still vying for the world championship this year. Lando Norris leads the world championship, while teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri is just one point behind. With four more Grands Prix and two sprint races to go, the battle is far from over. Max Verstappen also remains in the race: the Dutchman is 36 points behind Norris and can still clinch his fifth title.
