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McLaren’s Stella Clarifies Verstappen Critique: Asserts It’s Not Personal but Stands Firm on Aggressive Driving Concerns
Andrea Stella emphasizes that his opinion on Max Verstappen's approach isn't driven by personal feelings, while reinforcing his position
McLaren's Andrea Stella has reinforced his perspective regarding Max Verstappen's racing tactics against Lando Norris.
McLaren's Formula 1 team leader, Andrea Stella, has reiterated his opinions on Max Verstappen's excessively assertive racing tactics towards Lando Norris during the Austrian Grand Prix, while clarifying that his position is not based on any "personal" issues.
During the final moments of the previous weekend's race at the Red Bull Ring, Verstappen and Norris clashed while vying for the top position, derailing their chances of winning and paving the way for Mercedes' George Russell to secure an unexpected victory.
Following the disputed conclusion, Stella opined that Verstappen's racing tactics against Norris stemmed from the leniency shown towards him for multiple contentious incidents with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton throughout their intense title fight in 2021.
Verstappen and Norris have taken steps to ensure their rivalry doesn't affect their off-track relationship, yet Stella firmly believes the Red Bull driver was at fault.
"Various factors need to be taken into account," Stella explained to Sky Sports F1. "Primarily, it's crucial for Lando to get behind the wheel and progress. If he remains in the same mindset as he was a week ago, his performance at Silverstone won't be up to par.
"The vehicle is in a strong position for competition, and we aim to take full advantage of that. Therefore, Lando is optimistic about the future, and we back his perspective."
"The second point to note is that this issue is strictly impersonal. It's not meant to create divisions in opinions."
"However, in my case, we have evidence, footage, concrete information, assessments, and geographical tracking information that we dedicated considerable effort to validate our preliminary views. I must admit that our early assessments were indeed validated."
In response to a question about whether Verstappen cut off Norris while braking, Stella confirmed, "Absolutely. Had these actions been promptly met with a caution, the situation wouldn't have intensified. The race officials are well aware of this.
"The present moment calls for progression, maximizing our learning, and enhancing Formula 1 by improving the enforcement of its rules."
Stella mentioned that after the incident, McLaren did not contact Red Bull; rather, they sought explanations from the FIA, the regulatory body of Formula 1.
"Stella noted, "In this discussion, the FIA are our true counterparts. It's not a matter of personal feelings; we hold Red Bull and Max, along with their accomplishments, in high regard.
"We requested further information and felt content with the explanations provided by the stewards and the FIA."
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