Sao Paulo disappointment “would not change something”, insists McLaren boss Andrea Stella as Woking outfit targets workforce title.
Which might be simply in addition to Max Verstappen, following his bravura efficiency at Interlagos, can put the title out of Lando Norris’ attain in Las Vegas.
Extreme wheelspin initially adopted by a few errors and the unlucky timing of a purple flag all left the Briton 62 level adrift of his rival.
Nonetheless, McLaren stays 37 factors forward of Ferrari within the all-important – so far as prize cash is worried – workforce standings and 48 away from Crimson Bull.
“By way of the Constructors’ Championship, I do not assume it modifications something,” mentioned Stella in response to Sunday’s consequence, which noticed Norris come residence sixth and teammate Oscar Piastri eighth.
“It was all the time our precedence,” he added. “Even when there was a name to be made to assist one driver or the opposite, it was all the time secondary to maximising the constructors’ championship.”
Requested if the stress of the (drivers’) title battle had acquired to Norris – who ungraciously recommended that his rival’s win had been all the way down to luck – Stella mentioned: “In the case of the drivers’ championship, I do not assume for Lando there was any explicit stress.
“We have been having fun with this quest, regardless that typically from the surface it might come throughout like there may be an error right here or there perhaps,” he added. “It’s like once we locked the tyres with the automobile like we had in Brazil I’m not wanting on the driver, I’m why the automobile retains locking the entrance tyres in circumstances like this. I do not assume stress was a major issue in any respect.
“Mathematically we’re nonetheless within the (drivers’) championship,” he continued, “however I feel for Lando and for Oscar, we’ll go to the following races attempting to win the races.
“The final two venues must be fairly good,” he mentioned. “Vegas will probably be probably extra of a Ferrari monitor, after which we’ll see. It’s all to play for, and the Constructors’ Championship stays and has all the time been our precedence.”
All of which begs the query why was Piastri pressured handy over his lead within the Dash to his teammate, and – if the constructors’ title is the precedence – will there be a repeat ought to the Australian discover himself main the Briton once more.
