Andrea Stella said he would have been “extremely concerned” if Lando Norris had let Oscar Piastri pass without questioning it in Hungary. Although it caused stress for McLaren, Stella quickly praised Norris after the race.
Norris was told to let Piastri through after an undercut, but he questioned the order on the radio and delayed before allowing it. This led to a one-two finish for McLaren with Piastri leading.
Why Stella is impressed by Norris
Despite the tension, Stella praised Norris for his actions. “Because he’s a race driver. Mention to me a race driver who would not have done it. Actually, I think you can mention to me many that would have not done it until lap 70,” Stella said.
“I would’ve been extremely concerned in that case if Lando had not demonstrated that he’s a racing driver. Because that’s the ethos you need to fight hard. You need to fight when you are in contention with the likes of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and more,” added Stella.
Fans might think it’s interesting how drivers handle team orders differently.
Meanwhile, some believe Norris should have negotiated being the number one driver in his contract after letting Piastri through. Currently second in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship and trailing Max Verstappen by 76 points, Norris has 11 races left to close the gap. McLaren needs 51 points to catch Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship .
What do you think about this situation?
