Backing Lando Norris: McLaren’s Strategy Under Scrutiny After Dramatic Italian Grand Prix

McLaren Should Support Lando Norris More, But He Also Needs to Step Up

Analyzing key discussions after an eventful Italian Grand Prix, highlighting McLaren's hesitation to fully support Lando Norris.

Support for Norris is crucial

McLaren found themselves in the spotlight at the Italian Grand Prix, squandering yet another chance for a Formula 1 victory.

Oscar Piastri delivered an impressive performance at Monza, executing a bold pass on his McLaren teammate Lando Norris and subsequently building a lead of more than five seconds.

McLaren's careful strategy proved costly as they opted for a two-stop plan, while Ferrari succeeded with Charles Leclerc's single-stop strategy, ultimately clinching victory in their home race.

This marks the fourth instance, following races in Canada, Britain, and potentially Belgium, where McLaren had a clear chance to win but fell short due to subpar strategic choices.

The more urgent matter for McLaren is Norris’s quest for the drivers’ championship and whether they should start supporting him now.

With eight races left, Norris is only 62 points behind Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship. Considering the current performance trends of the two teams, the British driver stands a strong chance of winning the title this year.

McLaren's outstanding performance, compared to Red Bull's struggles, should encourage the senior leadership at the Woking team to support Norris in his bid for this year's world championship.

Following the Monza event, it seems that team principal Andrea Stella is inclined to proceed in that direction.

During a media briefing at Monza, attended by Crash.net, he stated, "We must now recognize that not only is the constructors' championship within reach," Stella remarked.

"Considering the current performance of our car and the issues Red Bull is facing, it is certainly achievable from a driver's perspective."

"In order to go after both championships successfully, we must ensure that the team and Lando are both well-prepared."

Reflecting on the first lap, Piastri should not be faulted for his actions during the close racing with Norris.

His move against Norris was impressive and bold, and it likely would have secured him the victory at Monza if he had committed to a one-stop strategy.

Even though Piastri's actions allowed Leclerc to overtake Norris, they did not go against the team's pre-race directives.

Despite the chance that Norris could realistically win the world championship this year, the risk taken was unnecessary. The team could have easily mitigated this by giving straightforward pre-race instructions on behavior for the initial corners.

Nonetheless, Norris himself is not without fault for his poor defense against Piastri, essentially allowing his teammate to overtake him.

Without a doubt, the team must make a choice starting from the Azerbaijan race, but Norris should cease providing Piastri with reasons (as seen in Hungary) to disrupt his championship quest.

Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Max Verstappen all showed no mercy to their teammates when necessary – now it's time for Lando Norris to follow suit.

Leclerc has been consistently delivering impressive performances on race days throughout 2024, and the Monza event was no exception.

Despite initially expressing frustration about being overtaken by Norris, Leclerc excelled in managing his tyres after both McLarens made their second pit stops, ultimately securing a poignant win.

Previously, Leclerc was frequently referred to as a 'qualifying specialist' or someone with a single strong skill due to his exceptional speed during Saturday sessions, which often saw him securing pole positions but then losing ground during the race.

This year's Ferrari has improved balance and a more neutral approach to handling its tyres, allowing Leclerc to demonstrate his top-tier skills in tyre management during Sunday races.

Leclerc has proven himself to be a versatile driver who is likely to pose a significant challenge to Hamilton in the coming year.

Red Bull faces unexpected struggles

At the Italian Grand Prix, Red Bull's difficulties persisted as Verstappen finished in sixth place, trailing Leclerc by more than 35 seconds.

Considering their strong start to the season, where they were leading in the initial races, it's astonishing to see them now finishing a race weekend as only the fourth-best team.

A decline in performance like this has never been seen before.

Brawn GP's transition from leading race victors to a position akin to Red Bull's current standing was primarily due to financial constraints and limited developmental progress.

Red Bull possesses all the necessary assets and staff to improve their situation.

The concerning issue for Red Bull is that McLaren has enhanced their vehicle with a recent update during the Dutch Grand Prix. With upcoming tracks like Azerbaijan and Singapore, which are not anticipated to favor the RB20, Red Bull could face further challenges ahead.

New Audi CEO Mattia Binotto witnessed the challenges firsthand while in the Sauber garage during the Italian Grand Prix this weekend.

This is the initial occasion that we've observed the ex-Ferrari chief engaging with the Hinwil team since his announcement back in July.

Binotto is set to lead Audi's Formula 1 team as both Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer. He will be joined by Jonathan Wheatley, who will take on the role of team principal after transitioning from Red Bull.

The Italian faces a colossal challenge as Sauber sits at the bottom of the constructors' standings.

Sauber has not achieved a top 10 finish at all in 2024, and their performance at Monza did not improve.

Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu occupied the last positions on the starting grid and were clearly the slowest team during the race.

In an interview with Motorsport.com, Binotto stated, "It's not within our means. This team must evolve into a champion in the future. The path to achieving that starts with making strides forward and improving. We need to strengthen our capabilities for what lies ahead."

"Absolutely, we definitely need to make improvements. It's crucial for us personally, for the team as a whole, for the brand, and for our partners. We can't settle for where we are right now."

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