McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri can feel confident in the final four Formula One races.
MEXICO CITY: McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says Formula One title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri can both feel confident going into the last four races.
Stella told reporters there was everything to play for in the upcoming events in Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
He stated both drivers go into the final four races with reasons to be confident.
The team also enters the final races with a better understanding of how to extract consistent performance from the car.
Stella confirmed there is no reason to think any of the remaining tracks will favour one driver over the other.
Piastri has been beaten by Norris in the last five consecutive races.
Norris’s dominant victory from pole position in Mexico City on Sunday wiped out his teammate’s 14-point advantage.
Norris has publicly stated he does not believe in momentum within Formula One.
Piastri sounded more optimistic after racing from seventh on the grid to finish fifth.
He revealed he had successfully adapted his driving style to Mexico’s low-grip circuit conditions.
Piastri might have secured fourth place from Haas driver Oliver Bearman without a late virtual safety car intervention.
Stella reiterated that track layout presents no problem for either driver in the final races.
He emphasised the team must ensure it can extract the car’s full available performance.
Stella acknowledged Las Vegas was difficult for McLaren last season but noted this year could be different.
He pointed out that tyre graining is expected to be less severe this season.
Norris’s Mexican Grand Prix win was his first since the Hungarian Grand Prix in August.
The victory also ended a run of four races without a win for the McLaren team.
Stella described the Mexico result as a significant confidence boost for the entire team.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third and reduced his championship gap to 36 points.
Stella stated McLaren has proven it possesses a car capable of winning and sometimes dominating races.
He believes this proven competitiveness is the most important factor for the drivers’ championship pursuit.
McLaren has ruled out providing Piastri with a new chassis despite his recent performance drop.
Stella confirmed all data indicates no problem exists with Piastri’s car.
He explained that parts are regularly rotated between the team’s two cars.
The team remains reassured that no underlying car issue is affecting Piastri’s performance. – Reuters
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