In a remarkable Australian GP, McLaren F1’s Norris secured a podium, marking the team’s first of the season, with Piastri close behind in fourth.
McLaren F1 scored numerous points in Australia, thanks to Lando Norris’s podium – the team’s first of the season – and Oscar Piastri’s fourth-place finish. This achievement was also the result of flawless execution.
“Our season’s first podium was accompanied by a strong performance in Australia. Albert Park definitely seemed to suit our MCL38,” said Andrea Stella, McLaren’s director.
“However, finishing in third and fourth places also required the team to deliver an incredible job in terms of performance and reliability, while the drivers were excellent in managing their tires.”
Norris was allowed to overtake Piastri, and Stella explains that their situation made this move obvious: “This swap of positions wasn’t even strategic; it was a quicker execution of what was inevitably going to happen.”
“The exchange would have occurred naturally since Lando had much fresher tires. Every lap you gain without sacrificing your tires in unnecessary battles makes your car much, much faster over a race.”
“Because someone who stopped before you has tires that lose nearly half a tenth to a tenth per lap. So, Lando was going to overtake Oscar anyway. We, therefore, called for a swap to in no way penalize each other’s pace.”
The Italian thanked all members of McLaren for this great result: “It’s a huge effort from the entire team, on both sides of the globe. I want to thank all the men and women of McLaren and Mercedes HPP who have worked very hard so far to solidify and continue the positive journey we started in 2023.”
“I hope the team in Woking and our partners enjoy this podium as much as we did trackside. We are now looking forward to the next two races in Asia, a stint that will start in Japan, before F1 returns to China.”
Stella Praises McLaren’s “Incredible Job” in Australia. Stella Praises McLaren’s “Incredible Job” in Australia
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