McLaren’s Strategic Dilemma: Time to Back Lando Norris Amidst Italian GP Drama and Red Bull’s Downfall

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

Examining the key discussions after an eventful Italian Grand Prix, highlighting McLaren's hesitance to fully support Lando Norris and his need for personal improvement

Support for Norris is warranted

McLaren found themselves in the spotlight once more at the Italian Grand Prix, squandering yet another opportunity to win a Formula 1 race.

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

McLaren's conservative tactics backfired when they chose a two-stop plan, while Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc, went for a one-stop strategy and ended up winning the race on their home turf.

This marks the fourth instance where McLaren could have secured a victory, as seen previously in Canada, Britain, and perhaps Belgium, had their strategic choices been more effective.

The primary concern for McLaren at this moment is Norris' quest for the drivers' championship and deciding if they should support him now.

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

The strong performance of McLaren, compared to the troubles faced by Red Bull, should encourage the top executives at the Woking-based team to support Norris in his pursuit of this year's world championship.

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

Speaking to the media at Monza, where Crash.net was in attendance, he stated: "We must now recognize that the constructor championship is not the only possibility," Stella mentioned.

"Considering the current performance of our car and some challenges faced by Red Bull, achieving success is certainly within reach even from a driver's perspective."

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

Reflecting on the first lap, it's clear that Piastri's actions during his close-quarters racing with Norris were beyond reproach.

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

Although Piastri's move allowed Leclerc to overtake Norris, it did not go against the team's pre-race directions.

Nonetheless, considering the chance that Norris might actually clinch the world championship this year, it was an unnecessary gamble. This could have been avoided if the team had given clear pre-race guidance on behavior after the initial corners.

Nevertheless, Norris himself deserves criticism for his poor defense against Piastri, essentially allowing his teammate an easy opportunity to overtake.

Clearly, the team must decide on their strategy starting from the Azerbaijan race, but Norris should avoid giving Piastri reasons, as he did in Hungary, to disrupt his championship chase.

Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Verstappen never hesitated to be uncompromising with their teammates when necessary – now it's Norris's turn to adopt the same approach.

More than just a 'qualifying expert'

Leclerc has been delivering impressive performances on race days throughout 2024, and his showing at Monza was no exception.

Despite his initial complaints about Norris undercutting him, Leclerc took advantage of clear air after both McLarens pitted for their second stops, expertly managing his tyres to secure a heartfelt win.

Previously, Leclerc was frequently referred to as a 'qualifying specialist' or a one-dimensional driver because of his exceptional speed during Saturday's sessions, where he often secured pole position, but then lost ground during the actual race.

This year's Ferrari, which boasts improved balance and a more neutral approach to tyre management, has allowed Leclerc to demonstrate his top-tier skills in tyre preservation during Sunday races.

Leclerc has proven himself to be a versatile driver, and he is expected to pose a significant challenge to Hamilton in the upcoming year.

Unprecedented Red Bull Decline

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 how they began the season by excelling in the initial races, it's astonishing to see them now leaving a race weekend as the fourth-best team.

A decline in performance of this magnitude has never been seen before.

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

Red Bull possesses the necessary assets and team members to improve their situation.

The concerning issue 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 are not anticipated to favor the RB20, Red Bull is likely to face further challenges.

New Audi leader witnesses challenges firsthand

Newly appointed Audi head Mattia Binotto was seen in the Sauber garage during the Italian Grand Prix this weekend.

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

Binotto will lead Audi’s Formula 1 team as the Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer, working with Jonathan Wheatley, who is set to become the team principal after moving from Red Bull.

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

Sauber has not achieved a top 10 finish at any race in 2024, and the situation did not improve at Monza.

Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu occupied the last row of the grid, and their team was clearly the slowest during the race.

In an interview with Motorsport.com, Binotto stated, "We don't have the luxury to lag behind. Our team must evolve into a championship-winning team in the coming years. The path to achieving that is by making continuous progress. We need to strengthen and prepare ourselves for what's ahead."

"Absolutely, I believe we definitely need to make improvements. It's crucial for us individually, for the team as a whole, for the brand, and for our partners. We can't be content with where we currently stand."

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