Stella: 'No other driver in Lando’s car would have scored more' in Baku

Andrea Stella defends Norris P7 finish

For much of the year, McLaren’s team principal has been forced to walk a fine line in media interviews. With both drivers fighting for the Championship, Stella has been very deliberate not to show any preference towards Piastri or Norris.

Whether these efforts will be successful by the end of the year remains to be seen. Ultimately, whichever papaya driver that fails to win the title will be very unhappy with their 2025 campaign.

On one side, McLaren have been criticised for a series of slow stops for Lando Norris in recent events. For Piastri, meanwhile, many described the team orders used in Monza to relinquish second place as excessive.

In the face of this, Andrea Stella continues to follow what he describes as the team’s ‘principles’. Regardless of the questions posed to him, the former Ferrari race engineer consistently shows belief in his drivers.

For obvious reasons, Oscar Piastri was the main topic in Baku. His weekend was nothing short of catastrophic, with the 24-year-old ending a 43-race streak of scoring points. Simultaneously, Norris was also scrutinised for failing to significantly reduce the deficit to Piastri in the standings.

Andrea Stella has dismissed these concerns, arguing that the MCL39’s lack of performance was the biggest limitation in Baku:

“I think Lando had a strong race,” he told Motorsport. “He raced to the limit of the potential that was available in the car.

“I think no other driver in Lando’s car could have scored more [points]. We were hoping to have a car that was in condition to overtake.

“But the reality is that the car wasn’t fast enough to stay close to the car ahead out of last corner – to then be able to overtake down the straight. This means Lando spent the entire race in traffic, despite feeling the car had more to offer.

“If anything, the responsibility to try and extract more points may lay more on the team’s side. Because with a fast pitstop, we could have given Lando the opportunity to attack Lawson.”

McLaren look to regroup in Singapore

Max Verstappen’s successive victories in Monza and Baku put him 69 points behind the Championship lead. Although a late title charge is unlikely, nobody dares to write off the Dutchman until he is mathematically ruled out.

Singapore will be a true test for Red Bull and the RB21, which has progressed since the Monza update package. It will also be a challenging weekend for McLaren, whose supremacy up until the summer break has been eroded.

At the next round in Singapore, another street circuit, there will be immense pressure on both McLaren drivers. Putting aside the looming Verstappen threat, the tension in the title race is clearly heightening.

Piastri and Norris have increasingly little margin for error, especially as midfield teams prove increasingly capable of producing an upset. In this context, Andrea Stella will hope to give his drivers a slightly bigger buffer at round eighteen.