Stella: We want to give the 2024 F1 championship a go at with Norris

Monday, 09 September 2024 at 14:47

Despite a costly and unexpected loss to Ferrari at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, McLaren F1 team principal Andrea Stella insists they are fully behind Lando Norris's title shot as Red Bull and Max Verstappen falter towards the finish line.

McLaren is on a high, in terms of their package. They go to Baku this weekend, again capable of a one-two they denied themselves at Monza but their 'Papaya Rules' of engagement between Norris and Piastri clearly needs redefining.

Payapa Rules laid down by McLaren boss Zak Brown: “Papaya rules are it's your teammate; race him hard, race him clean, don't touch, that happened. It was an aggressive pass so that's a conversation we'll have, that was a bit nerve-wracking on pit wall but it's really just respect your teammate.

Asked by reporters at Monza, including GRANDPRIX247, when the team will start to favour and even assist Norris in this title shot, Stella replied: “In our conversation, even before the race here, we acknowledge that Lando is in the best position from a Drivers’ Championship point of view.

“So we have conversations with Oscar, we have conversations with Lando, and we have conversations together, and then we kind of define our rules of engagement."

Montoya: Piastri took advantage of what McLaren call Papaya Rules

As for preventing another 'misunderstanding' between Norris and Piastri together (not the first trip-up between the McLaren boys), Stella said: “We need to take a look at the first lap, but it has to be done in a way that is competent, is detailed, specific, takes into account the videos, and takes into account what was the driver’s expectation.

"Then see what we can learn from this situation to adjust the future situations. “I state the fact that we do want to give it a go at the championship with Lando," declared Stella. Time will tell as will their strategy calls.

McLaren great Juan Pablo Montoya weighed in on the post-Italian GP headline-grabbing saga, suggesting their rules of engagement flopped at Monza: “Piastri took advantage of what they call Papaya Rules because he knew that Lando couldn’t battle him and knew that Lando was fighting for the championship and was vulnerable to crashing.”

For Norris and McLaren the next few races will be now or never for the title

brown stella norris piastri f1 mclaren factory

Heading to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Round 17 of the 2024 F1 World Championship, McLaren are favourites and top of the performance pecking order currently. The rest are chasing, with Mercedes and Ferrari arguing for P2 as Red Bull keeps on slipping.

Monza was a 'sure' one-two for Zan Browen's team until it wasn't. Baku should be the same on the current form F1 formbook. But with 'Papaya Rules' in their current guise—as seen on the opening lap of the Grand Prix suggest—a true title tilt for Norris is merely lip service.

Consider that since Verstappen's 2024 F1 campaign nose-dived seven rounds ago, after his Spanish GP victory in June, Norris only made nine points indent into the lead, when it should have been substantially more.

At Monza, Papaya Rules cost Norris ten points, which might be the difference between him winning his first F1 title or Verstappen bagging his fourth when the lights go out at the season finale Abu Dhabi GP. (Quotes from Agnes Carlier at Monza)