McLaren hand Lando Norris clear order in battle with Max Verstappen

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has given definitive instructions to Lando Norris over how to approach the first corner of the Miami Grand Prix.

The British driver will start alongside his 2024 nemesis, Max Verstappen, who claimed pole position in qualifying at the Miami International Autodrome.

However, the five-time grand prix winner will start on the inside, positioning him well for the run down into Turn 1, as was the case two weeks ago when Oscar Piastri got the better of the Dutchman off the line at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

During the sprint in Florida, like at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the Australian won the inside line and got to the apex first, this time pushing Kimi Antonelli wide.

If Norris is to take the lead into the first corner, he will have to emulate the approach of his team-mate, with the Red Bull driver unlikely to be fooled for the second grand prix in succession.

When asked by RacingNews365 in his post-qualifying media session if there is anything he can tell his drivers ahead of such scenarios, Stella confirmed there was - and that it has not changed, despite those recent incidents.

"Well, the advice I give to the drivers as a team principal, they remain the same - even after having seen the case of Saudi [Arabia] with Oscar and Verstappen and here with Oscar and Andrea Kimi," he responded. "And the advice is: we want to see the chequered flag.

"I'm not interested in any contact with any competitor. And sometimes, if it's not clear that you have the corner, sometimes you can let go, okay, because we want to see the chequered flag.

"The car is fast, let's stay in the race. It's not only won or lost in corner one, so that's the way we [McLaren] go racing."

All in the launch

Both Saudi Arabia and Miami have short runs to the first corner, and Stella was quick to highlight another key similarity between Piastri's two incidents, which were brought up by RacingNews365 as part of the initial question.

"If we take these two specific cases that you mentioned, I think in both cases [that] actually the difference is made in the launch," the Italian explained.

"Like, we are focused very much in corner one, but the whole position is gained in the launch. Oscar has been able to produce such a competitive launch in both cases that he was actually ahead at the braking point.

"And then, when you are ahead of the braking point and you are on the inside, I think we are into the basics of motorsport as to how the reminder of the corner unfolds.

"For me, it's absolutely essential that our drivers behave in a correct way, and they stay away from any interest in imposing the line with some sort of forcing the line.

"I think Oscar was well within the truck limits, both in Saudi and in here for the sprint, in corner one, and in both cases, it's just gained the position with the quality of his launch."