McLaren wary of team 'responsibility' as F1 title fight heats up

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has addressed the responsibility his team has to ensure it does not give one of its drivers an advantage in the F1 title fight.

The Woking-based squad has enjoyed a highly successful campaign to date, winning 11 out of the 14 races staged.

The triumphs have been shared between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, with the former holding a narrow nine-point lead at the top of the drivers' championship.

While the intensity between the pair will likely grow in the races to come, Stella suggested the team will face increased pressure to ensure its operations don't let one of its drivers down.

“First of all, we need to make sure that we as a team only play a positive part, and the positive part is to give Lando and Oscar a fast car, a car that in all conditions can fight for the win,” Stella told media including RacingNews365. 

“We don't play a role instead in which we have reliability factors, operational problems, pit stops that may bias the allocation of points one way or the other.

“This is the responsibility of the team.”

There has been little to separate Piastri and Norris during the first 14 races, with Piastri winning six races to Norris' two. Qualifying gaps between the pair have also been enormously close.

As both competitors chase their first F1 titles, Stella highlighted consistency will be a critical element for his drivers to focus on.

“When it comes to Lando and Oscar, I think this is very much to do with the execution because they are very close,” he said.

“It's a matter of details in the execution from all points of view: race craft, driving, penalties, and then consistency.

“Consistency - just being good at every single event - is something that Lando and Oscar have been very good at.

“But this is going to be more and more important, especially as the finish line gets closer and closer.”