Tension simmered inside the McLaren garage on Lap 51 of the Italian Grand Prix as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri duelled for fourth place. Norris's move around the outside at Curva Grande ended with his wheels on the grass after Piastri shifted left to defend. The incident sparked a brief radio protest from Norris, but his tone was far more diplomatic after the race.
Amid the podium buzz, team principal Andrea Stella explained why McLaren opted not to intervene in the intra-team battle. According to Stella, letting his drivers race was the most logical choice given their identical cars and tyre conditions. He also noted that Norris's chance to chase Max Verstappen would only materialise if he could first get past his teammate.
“In this situation, we thought that for Lando to have a chance on Max, he should first pass Oscar,” Stella told media. “We thought there was no need to interfere with the normal development of the race. We let them race. That was the right thing to do. Overall, Max was faster, but he was caught in that hook you get this year when you lose the slipstream here at Monza, and you have to use energy to defend.”
Stella also addressed the critical moment when Norris ran off track. He admitted that an internal review is necessary to evaluate whether McLaren could have fought Verstappen more effectively. However, he stressed that the team's philosophy is to allow clean racing between its drivers.
“When Lando put the wheels on the grass, he made a comment like ‘he pushed me off’,” Stella recalled. “But actually, when we reviewed it, the episode is much more benign than it looked in the heat of the moment. So it's something we will review in the context of this racing. Was there a better way for McLaren to give a fight to Verstappen? We will review.”
McLaren's decision to avoid team orders has drawn mixed reactions, but Stella remains steadfast. With a long season ahead, this outcome serves as a key learning point for the team battling at the sharp end of the constructors' championship.
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