For the first time in 10 years, McLaren leads the constructors’ championship.
Red Bull is no longer leading the Formula One constructors’ championship. After the Azerbaijan GP in Baku, won by Oscar Piastri, McLaren took first place in the constructors’ championship. Something that seemed impossible until a few months ago. Now, the Woking team is dreaming of the world title, a title it hasn’t had since 1988.
Baku qualifying
It was a two-faced qualifying for the two McLarens. Lando Norris was knocked out in Q1 with a time only fast enough for P17. This obviously jeopardised his chances for the Drivers’ championship, being the main rival of Max Verstappen. McLaren’s Constructors’ championship charge was also jeopardised, which with these performances becomes even more difficult.
Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, managed to revive the team, managing to reach Q3, thus becoming the only McLaren driver to have to fight against two Ferraris. He started on the front row alongside poleman Charles Leclerc.
The race
Oscar Piastri demonstrated his pure and crystalline talent in this race. A true master in knowing how to defend his position until the end. The Australian took first place in Baku, thus bringing the team to the top of the constructors’ championship. The young Australian, managed by Mark Webber, showed what he is made of. He demonstrated his concentration in keeping behind Charles Leclerc who left him no space. He demonstrated his ability to not make any mistakes and drive a clean race. But above all, he demonstrated that he can also manage and defend himself from his opponents on his own.
Lando Norris’s job in this race was to keep Sergio Perez at bay. So that he wouldn’t catch up with his teammate Oscar Piastri. On the team radio, Lando was asked to keep up with Perez in the middle sector. Perez couldn’t find the way, although he did make the pass at the start. However, McLaren brought Oscar Piastri back on track ahead of Sergio Perez.
After a few grid penalties applied after qualifying, Lando Norris saw himself start the race from 15th position in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Norris, after the mistake made yesterday in qualifying, made an excellent comeback. Also aided by the clash at the end of the race between Perez and Sainz, he managed to further climb the rankings, taking fourth place.
Still many performance and strategy errors
What we have noticed this season is the unexpected growth of McLaren. A competitive car that is now able to take the world championship away from Red Bull. But this is not enough. The Woking team has not yet demonstrated the true potential of this car. Because between bad luck, wrong strategies and poor performances, the team has lost points in several races.
There have been races where they have been strong simply because they have had no opponents to fight. And in occasions like these it is easier to make strategic choices. But Formula One is not like that. In order to fully demonstrate the potential, you have to put the team in difficult situations and see how they react under pressure.
The “papaya rules”, what are they?
During these last races, there has been a lot of talk about the “papaya rules”. Rules that were mentioned by Lando Norris on the team radio at Monza. As team principal Andre Stella explained, it is a way of reminding them that they do not want any contact between the two McLarens. They want both drivers to work together for the good of the team. The tean order rules are meant to favour Lando Norris also in the drivers’ title with the help of Oscar Piastri. Yet from Monza to now many things have changed and perhaps also these “papaya rules”. And some poor performances and poor starts by Lando Norris makes things diffucult for the Woking team. Especially seeing as Oscar Piastri has had incredible performances of late.
The next race
The next appointment is in Singapore, a beautiful but also complex circuit. What is important now for McLaren is to try to maintain this first place in the constructors’ championship. Avoiding errors in strategy but above all in performance. Especially now that there is a Ferrari on the rise. There are still 7 races to go, and anything can happen. So it is better not to lower their guard but to try to limit the margins of error.
