McLaren will race the same after team title is won, says Stella
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria - June 29, 2025 McLaren team principal Andrea Stella watches on during the race Pool via REUTERS/Denes Erdos/ File Photo
BAKU : McLaren will not change their approach to the Formula One drivers' championship once they have secured the constructors' crown for the second year in a row, team boss Andrea Stella said on Friday.
McLaren can seal the team title in Azerbaijan with seven rounds to spare this weekend, leaving Australian Oscar Piastri and Britain's Lando Norris to battle for the individual championship.
Piastri leads Norris by 31 points with Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, a hefty 94 points off the pace in third place.
McLaren last won a drivers' title with Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
Asked about a possible change of approach once the constructors' was in the bag, Stella said the situation would stay the same.
"The approach to the drivers' title will not change, this is not dependent on the constructors'," the Italian told reporters in Baku.
"The way we go racing is dependent on the racing principles, on the value that we embody as McLaren Racing and also its a reflection of the fact that we want to protect the unity of the team," he added.
TEAM ORDERS CONTROVERSY AT MCLAREN
The Italian Grand Prix, the race before Baku, was marked by a team orders controversy after Piastri was asked to hand back second place to Norris following their pitstops.
Norris had pitted later than his teammate, despite being ahead on track, for strategic reasons but lost out through no fault of his own when he suffered a slow stop and came out behind in third place.
Piastri initially suggested a slow stop was a part of racing but complied with the order, with his lead cut from 34 points.
He acknowledged on Thursday that it might have been harder to hand back the place had the two teammates been going for a victory.
The constructors' title is the championship that determines a team's share of the revenues and prize money, as well as any employee bonuses.
McLaren are 337 points clear of Ferrari and it is inconceivable that they will not retain their title, probably on Sunday. Stella recognised that the feeling this year was different to last season.
"Last year, the championship came as a surprise, much earlier than expected in terms of the trajectory of the team," he said.
"Actually, it was here in Baku that we took the lead in the championship. And at the end, it was a great surprise and a great joy.
"This year, we realised relatively soon that the car was very competitive, that we were in condition to win races. So it was more about keeping the concentration, keeping the focus, maximising the potential available."
