McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explained why Oscar Piastri let Lando Norris past at the United States Grand Prix. Piastri and Norris locked out the fourth row, but Piastri struggled, losing 0.997s per lap to leader Kimi Antonelli and unable to match George Russell. Norris complained of being "held up" by his teammate, leading to the team's request that Piastri yield position. Norris quickly pulled away by four seconds in seven laps.
Stella revealed that Lando excels at this track while Oscar struggles more on circuits requiring adaptability. This year, Oscar's strength is in building consistent lap times once he creates references, but the US GP's variable conditions favor Lando's ability to adapt, especially as the car slides. The move demonstrated team unity after their Singapore sprint collision.
McLaren opted for a one-stop strategy with hard tyres, hoping to challenge top teams on two-stop strategies. Norris held second until lap 46 before succumbing to Ferrari and Red Bull, finishing fifth. Piastri finished seventh, also ahead of the Mercedes. Stella noted they were catching up to rivals in the second stint before deciding on the one-stop approach.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing