McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has credited Lando Norris with playing a vital behind-the-scenes role in teammate Oscar Piastri’s impressive win at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix—even though Norris wasn’t on the podium himself.
After a crash in qualifying left him starting 10th, Norris staged an aggressive comeback through the field. But his progress was temporarily halted by Lewis Hamilton, who was difficult to overtake on hard tyres in his Ferrari.
🏁 Norris vs. Hamilton: The Turning Point
Norris initially overtook Hamilton at Turn 27, but Hamilton used DRS to reclaim the position into Turn 1. This cat-and-mouse game repeated for two laps until Norris finally secured the overtake at the right moment into Turn 1.
This tactical insight proved crucial later in the race.
🔄 Teamwork Behind the Scenes
When Piastri emerged from his pit stop behind Hamilton, Norris’s race engineer, Will Joseph, proactively informed Piastri’s engineer, Tom Stallard, about what didn’t work during Norris’s duel with Hamilton.
Armed with that intel, Piastri executed a flawless overtake around the outside at the high-speed Turn 21—making it past Hamilton without delay and setting himself up for the race win.
“I was very proud that I didn’t need to prompt anything,” said Stella. “It was a great example of team spirit and communication. Will Joseph and Tom Stallard did an excellent job.”
🔧 Behind-the-Scenes Heroics
Stella also praised McLaren’s garage crew for their overnight work to rebuild Norris’s car after his qualifying crash.
“We had to replace everything apart from the chassis and power unit,” he said. “Credit to Charlie Hooper and the mechanics for making it happen and allowing Lando to score valuable points.”
📈 Key Takeaway: Norris may not have won the race, but his experience—and the team’s seamless internal communication—was pivotal in securing a well-earned victory for McLaren and Oscar Piastri.