Mclaren team principal andrea stella

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella: Lando Norris’s hopes of winning a first-ever Drivers Championship took a serious hit at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix when Max Verstappen drove all the way from P17 to P1 to win his first race since June. According to McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella, the team had always prioritised the Constructors' Championship and Norris’ title hopes were secondary for the team.

“In terms of the Constructors’ Championship, I don’t think it changes anything because it was always our priority. Even when there was a call to be made to support one driver or the other, it was always secondary to actually maximising the Constructors’ Championship,” said Stella to Motorsport Week.

Lando Norris was seemingly in top form heading into Sunday's race after winning the Sprint Race and qualifying at pole positions. However, George Russell's Mercedes overtook the McLaren car on the first lap, and the British driver could not recover.