**Backing Norris: McLaren’s Strategic Gamble and the Road to the Championship Post-Monza**

McLaren must support Lando Norris, but he also needs to step up

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

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McLaren found themselves in the spotlight once more at the Italian Grand Prix, squandering yet another chance at an F1 grand prix win.

Oscar Piastri executed an impressive performance at Monza, making a bold move to pass his McLaren teammate Lando Norris and subsequently extending his lead to more than five seconds.

McLaren's conservative tactics proved costly as they opted for a two-stop strategy, while Ferrari, employing a one-stop plan with Charles Leclerc, secured victory in their home race.

This marks the fourth time McLaren has lost a chance for victory, following similar situations in Canada, Britain, and perhaps Belgium, where improved strategic choices could have secured a win.

The more urgent matter for McLaren is Norris' quest for the drivers' championship and deciding if they should support him at this point.

Norris is trailing Max Verstappen by only 62 points in the drivers’ championship, with eight races remaining. Considering the current performance trends of the two teams, the British racer has a strong opportunity to secure this year's title.

The strong performance of McLaren, compared to the troubles faced by Red Bull, should encourage the senior leaders at the Woking team to support Norris in his quest for this year's world championship.

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

At Monza, with Crash.net in attendance, he mentioned to the press, "At this point, we must recognize that winning the constructor's championship is within reach," Stella remarked.

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

"If we want to succeed as a team, we need to ensure both the team and Lando are in a position to compete for both championships."

Reflecting on the events of the first lap, Piastri's behavior during his close racing with Norris should not be criticized.

His move on Norris was impressive and assertive, and it would have secured him the victory at Monza if he had adhered to a single-stop strategy.

Although Piastri's move allowed Leclerc to pass Norris, he didn't go against the team's pre-race guidelines.

That said, considering Norris has a real chance of clinching the world championship this year, it was an unnecessary gamble. The team could have easily managed this by giving him straightforward guidelines on behavior after the initial corners before the race began.

Nonetheless, Norris also deserves some criticism for his poor defense against Piastri, as he essentially allowed his teammate an easy opportunity to overtake.

Undoubtedly, the team must decide from Azerbaijan forward, but Norris should avoid motivating Piastri (as he did in Hungary) to disrupt his championship chase.

Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Verstappen all showed no mercy towards their teammates when the situation called for it – now it's Norris's turn to adopt the same approach.

Not Just a Qualifying Expert

Leclerc is consistently delivering strong performances on race days in 2024, with Monza being another example.

Despite his initial grievances about being outpaced by Norris, Leclerc skillfully preserved his tyres once he had clear track after both McLarens made their second pit stops, ultimately securing a heartfelt win.

In earlier times, Leclerc was frequently referred to as a 'quali specialist' or someone with a limited skill set because of his remarkable speed during qualifying sessions, where he often secured pole position but then struggled to maintain that lead during the actual race.

This year's Ferrari demonstrates improved balance and neutrality in its tire management, allowing Leclerc to prove on Sundays that his tire preservation skills rank among the top.

Leclerc has proven himself to be a versatile driver who is likely to challenge Hamilton significantly in the upcoming year.

Unexpected Decline for Red Bull

Red Bull's struggles persisted at the Italian Grand Prix, where Verstappen ended up in sixth place, trailing Leclerc by more than 35 seconds.

Considering their strong start to the season, where they dominated the initial races, it's perplexing to see them now leave a race weekend as the fourth-best team.

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

Brawn GP transitioned from being leading race victors to a position akin to Red Bull's current standing, primarily due to financial constraints and limited advancements.

Red Bull possesses all the necessary resources and staff to make a comeback.

The concerning aspect for Red Bull is that McLaren has enhanced their vehicle with the latest upgrade at the Dutch Grand Prix. With upcoming races in Azerbaijan and Singapore, which aren't predicted to favor the RB20, Red Bull may face further challenges.

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

This marks the initial occasion where we observe the ex-Ferrari leader engaged with the Hinwil team following his announcement in July.

Binotto is set to lead Audi’s Formula 1 team as both Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer, while Jonathan Wheatley will assume the role of team principal once he transitions from Red Bull.

The Italian faces a huge challenge as Sauber is currently at the bottom of the constructors' championship standings.

Sauber has not managed to achieve a top 10 position in any race for the 2024 season, and their performance at Monza did not improve this record.

Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu started from the last row of the grid and were the slowest team by a significant margin during the race.

Binotto mentioned to Motorsport.com that the team cannot bear the costs. He emphasized that the team needs to evolve into a victorious one in the future. To achieve this, they must begin improving and advancing now. He added that they need to build their strength for the challenges ahead.

"Absolutely, I believe we must make enhancements. This is crucial for our personal growth, for the team's success, for the brand's reputation, and for our partners' satisfaction. We cannot simply be content with our current standing."

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