Andrea Stella has declared he is "not really interested in being comfortable" in his role as McLaren team principal, as he continues to be questioned about the number one status of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Through the Italian and CEO Zak Brown, the reigning F1 constructors' champion squad has long maintained its stance of parity between its two drivers.
Piastri leads Norris by 16 points in the F1 drivers' title fight, whilst Max Verstappen has fallen back and is on the brink of becoming a non-factor at 81 points adrift.
Even though the Dutchman is quickly developing into a moot point this season, with the championship battle increasingly turning into an all-McLaren affair, Stella is still being asked about the Woking team's equal stance.
The 54-year-old's drivers have proven a close match for one another across the campaign, but when it was put to him that it would be "more comfortable" to have a strong and clear number one driver, he dismissed the concern.
"If I wanted to be comfortable, then I'm not doing the right job," Stella told media, including RacingNews365. "I'm not really interested in being comfortable.
"I'm interested in putting McLaren in the best possible position to succeed, which means competing for the constructors' world championship, and if possible, making sure that the drivers' world championship is a matter between the two drivers of the McLaren Formula 1 team."
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'We are here to go racing in a certain way'
Stella stressed that even if McLaren and its drivers did not occupy its current dominant position in both championships, it would not change the team's approach.
"And in addition to that, even if this doesn't make my life or Zak's life any simpler, we are here also to go racing in a certain way, which is open, which may give our drivers the opportunity to express their talents, their aspirations, their quality, their constant development," he added.
"So that's what we are here for.
"We are very privileged to be in this position, and also we are privileged, I think, that we are doing that, not only with the team we have, but with Oscar and Lando, who are two great drivers, but above all, two great individuals."
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