McLaren praises Lando Norris for helping Oscar Piastri win Azerbaijan GP days after giving the Briton ‘number 1’ status
Lando Norris helped Oscar Piastri stay ahead of Sergio Perez after pitstops following McLaren's instructions during the race.
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Oscar Piastri, Andrea Stella, and Lando Norris (Via: Imago)
McLaren established itself as a title contender in the last few races. Lando Norris was believed to be the favorite in the title fight against Max Verstappen. However, things seem to have taken a turn following Oscar Piastri‘s incredible victory in Azerbaijan.
Norris was essentially given the number 1 status by McLaren before the start of this weekend. However, the Briton was eliminated in Q1 on Saturday, putting the team’s hopes solely on Piastri. The Australian driver was assisted by Lando Norris as he held up Sergio Perez to keep his teammate ahead.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella claimed that Oscar Piastri was ‘brilliant’ in the race. Moreover, Stella mentioned that Norris did a great job in helping out the Australian driver stay ahead of Perez. The 53-year-old applauded the Briton’s recovery to make it to the front after starting from fifteenth place.
What brilliancy in Oscar's drive today and what team work because Lando did a bit of the job in helping Oscar today.Andrea Stella said post-race
Andrea Stella: "What brilliancy in Oscar's drive today and what team work because Lando did a bit of the job in helping Oscar today. And what a recovery from P15 on the grid. What a strong team, strong drivers – just so proud of them. We would take a boring win now!"
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) September 15, 2024
McLaren full of pride after Azerbaijan victory
McLaren was right behind Red Bull in the standings heading into the Baku weekend. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finally managed to topple Milton Keynes from the lead. Andrea Stella claimed that he was proud of his drivers after the Woking-based team stood first in the championship for the first time since 2014.
![Oscar Piastri [L], Lando Norris [R] (image via IMAGO)](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Lando-Norris-and-Oscar-Piastri-imago-1200x675.jpg)
What a recovery from P15 on the grid. What a strong team, strong drivers - just so proud of them.Andrea Stella stated
Certainly, McLaren might need to reconsider its stance on team orders following Piastri’s win in Baku. However, it might be too early for the team to do a 180 on its decision. As such, it remains to be seen how Stella manages the situation in the coming races.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2310 Articles Published)