McLaren Asks Norris and Piastri for Caution in the Belgian GP: F1 Strategy

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SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS – McLaren wants its drivers, in the midst of a fight for the championship, to adopt a long-term strategy at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix. Lando Norris will start from pole position, followed by Oscar Piastri, who is nine points behind Norris in the overall standings. McLaren dominated the front row on Saturday, but Ferrari and Red Bull, with Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, respectively, will start behind them. Verstappen won the sprint race, taking advantage of Piastri’s slipstream on the Kemmel straight after Eau Rouge. The possibility of a race in wet conditions has increased, adding an unpredictable factor to the competition.

McLaren Asks Norris and Piastri for Caution in the Belgian GP: F1 Strategy
Lando Norris y Oscar Piastri compiten por el título de Fórmula 1.
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s boss, commented on Saturday night: “I think both drivers will try, first of all, to have the best start at the first corner.”

I suppose the position of whoever is in P2, positioning themselves to take the slipstream, could be a decisive factor. I must say that, according to the weather forecast, this will not necessarily happen in dry conditions, so if it’s wet it will be even more interesting, because Eau Rouge may not be easy flat out, as it is today on lap 1 in a Formula 1 car.

Andrea Stella
Stella added: “At the same time, while looking ahead, they will have to look back a bit, because Ferrari has a significant speed advantage, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Leclerc led the group at the end of lap 1. So there is certainly some planning that can be done, but ultimately you have to let the drivers make their own assessment, their own judgment.” “Certainly, what I will tell the drivers is that lap 1 is only lap 1 of 44, and when you have such a competitive car, you just have to make sure to minimize problems during lap 1. And then, if we execute the race in the best possible way, I think we will be in a position to recover the possibility of winning the race, even if lap 1 doesn’t go as planned in qualifying.”McLaren has chosen not to implement team orders between its drivers so far, allowing them to compete freely. Norris collided with Piastri at the rear while they were fighting for position at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix. In the following race, in Austria, Piastri had to be controlled after almost crashing into the rear of Norris’s car while they were fighting for the lead.
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