Never doubted Lando Norris as a team player - says Andrea Stella

Stella stated, "I have complete faith in Lando's ability to balance his role as a race driver and a team player." He further added, "It was imperative for Lando to showcase his racing instincts, which he did by eventually conceding the lead to Piastri."

Despite starting from pole position, Norris relinquished the lead to Piastri early in the race. Following a strategic pit stop, Norris regained the lead, prompting the team to request a position swap, which was executed towards the end of the race amidst escalating tension.

Piastri secured his maiden Formula One victory, while Norris aimed to shed his reputation as a consistent runner-up. Stella reiterated the team's core values and principles, emphasizing that the team's interests always supersede individual ambitions.

Stella, drawing from his experience at Ferrari, highlighted the importance of aligning with the team's values, even if they conflicted with a driver's natural instincts. He underscored that both drivers were treated equally within the team.

He mentioned that having Oscar and Lando puts them in a fortunate position where they don't have to determine a number one driver. They compete fairly, and if one of them achieves a result based on merit, it will be respected.

Perhaps, if it's nearing the end of the season and one of the drivers is in strong contention for the championship, they might reconsider this approach. However, he anticipates that it will be the other driver who will offer help by saying, 'if you need my assistance...I'm here'.

He believes that by managing races fairly, like they did today, they are establishing this principle.