McLaren has officially announced a strategic shift prioritizing Lando Norris in their pursuit of the Formula 1 World Championship title, as confirmed by team principal Andrea Stella on Thursday.

This decision comes as Norris aims to close a 62-point gap behind current leader Max Verstappen, with only eight races remaining in the season. The team is currently only eight points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ standings, making this a critical moment for McLaren.

Stella emphasised that while the team will “bias support” toward Norris, they will maintain their commitment to fairness and sportsmanship: “We [will] bias our support to Lando but we want to do it without too much compromise on our principles.

“Our principles are that the team interest always comes first. Sportsmanship for us is important in the overall way we go racing. And then we want to be fair to both drivers.”

This approach aims to avoid the internal conflicts that have previously cost the team valuable points, such as during the Italian Grand Prix, where both Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri lost positions due to on-track battles.

Piastri has expressed his willingness to support Norris but clarified that any decision to surrender a race victory isn’t predetermined. He mentioned the importance of rewarding performance on the track, indicating that both drivers are aligned on this collaborative strategy.

The team aims to enhance Norris’s chances while ensuring that both drivers can compete fairly. Stella noted the necessity of avoiding situations that detract from the team’s overall performance, reinforcing that the interests of McLaren must always come first.