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Christian Horner, the head of Red Bull Racing, is primarily focused on his team's progress. However, it's hard not to notice the turmoil happening at McLaren, a team that seems unable to make decisive decisions or establish a clear lead driver. In a recent media interview, Horner commented on McLaren's strategy at Monza, where they chose not to favor Lando Norris.
McLaren, however, appears to be shifting their strategy to give Norris more priority. The last race in Azerbaijan didn't bring any new developments, but the key takeaway for McLaren is that Oscar Piastri appeared victorious. Horner remarked that McLaren's team orders are confusing and difficult to understand, reflecting his confusion regarding the internal dynamics within the team.
"Usually those things are dealt with behind closed doors. I’m not actually sure what those rules are. There’s still seems confusion.”- Christian Horner said, as quoted by Crash.
A 50-year-old Briton believes that Oscar Piastri's excellent performances are creating headaches for McLaren, given how well he has been performing. The young driver has surprised everyone with his maturity and tactics in recent races. Horner recalled some earlier days at Red Bull when Daniel Ricciardo was supposed to be the number two driver but ended up securing three victories, while Sebastian Vettel did not win any. Such situations can confuse team leaders, who struggle with deciding the best course of action. This is a scenario that seems to be unfolding at McLaren as well.
“I think the other one [Piastri] is causing them headaches because he’s winning races and he’s doing a very good job,” Horner continued.
“It was like when Daniel Ricciardo came to us, he was clearly supposed to be the number two to Sebastian Vettel, and he won three races that year to Sebastian’s none."
The Red Bull team principal highlights that such situations can indeed cause headaches. McLaren’s leaders knew about Oscar Piastri's potential, but they didn't anticipate things unfolding this way. Horner acknowledges that every team wants to have a second driver with immense potential who can also compete at the top. It can be incredibly challenging to make rational decisions when you have two amazing drivers, especially when their differences in quality are minimal. Horner believes it’s particularly difficult when a second driver starts outperforming the first driver, which can lead to a headaches for the team.
Horner suggested that McLaren might not have been clear with their drivers, which could lead to a tricky situation.
He pointed out that different teams handle their drivers in various ways. For example, Red Bull wouldn’t make a star like Max Verstappen a second driver. It’s hard to expect such a scenario, especially when considering the quality of the Dutch driver and what he’s capable of achieving.
Horner mentioned that McLaren is paying Lando Norris a lot more than Oscar Piastri, which would naturally suggest that Norris should be their top driver or the most important asset. The problem arises when the team isn’t upfront about their plans from the start. It’s clear that both drivers are talented, but it’s also evident that McLaren’s leadership has given preference to Norris, viewing him as the stronger asset for the team. The young Briton’s experience compared to Piastri’s is an added advantage when it comes to his position within McLaren.
Christian stressed that this lack of clarity makes it hard to manage the team because it creates confusion and splits the team's focus. Even if everyone has an idea of who the lead driver is, not being clear about it from the beginning can lead to confusion.
At the start of the season, things might be open, but by mid-season, teams need to make a clear choice, especially if they're competing for the championship, he points out.
Andrea Stella on driver No. 1
Team principal Andrea Stella stated in a media interview that his team has two excellent drivers who will prioritize the team's interests above all. He acknowledged the team’s goal of winning both the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships. At present, Norris is considered to be closer to Verstappen in terms of performance, so he will have the advantage in upcoming races. However, Stella also mentioned that if circumstances change, he is prepared to make specific decisions and potentially give Piastri the advantage if necessary.
“We have two No 1 drivers effectively and that means that we approach things first of all in the interests of the team,” Stella said.
“The interest of the team is to win the constructors’ championship and to win also the drivers’ championship. Lando was in the most favourable position before this race and still is.
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