Andrea Stella has acknowledged that McLaren might have to "reconsider" its strategy regarding team orders as the season moves forward and the championship becomes more intense.
Following a competitively effortless 1-2 finish for the revitalized team in Hungary, discussions post-race primarily centered around Lando Norris's conspicuous reluctance to relinquish the lead to his teammate Oscar Piastri - until he eventually did.
Reflecting on the incident at Spa, Norris confessed his regret over the situation. "It's such a stupid thing that I didn't let him pass straight away because we're free to race," the Briton expressed. "It sounds so simple now, but it's not something that went through my head at the time."
"The fact we had a one-two and that was barely a headline after the race - nothing was really spoken about it from that side - that's the bit I feel worst about. I clouded over Oscar's win and I'm not too proud about that."
However, the composed 23-year-old Piastri dismissed the tension as insignificant, mentioning that post-race, he even "shared McDonald's and played Monopoly" with Norris and Alex Albon.
"Ultimately, he did give the position back and I know it's not an easy position to be in," Piastri acknowledged.
"I would have thought about it selfishly as well."
Piastri also noted that given Norris's current standing in the championship, his teammate might be more likely to contend against Max Verstappen for the drivers' championship this year, suggesting that Norris could receive preferential treatment in future races.
Team principal Stella has also reconciled with Norris's initial hesitation to allow Piastri to overtake him immediately after an 'undercut' strategy last Sunday.
"Lando is an honest person in every kind of relationship, including the one with himself," Stella observed. "But I'm sure that he will continue to refine that over the years."
Lewis Hamilton, too, supported Norris, indicating that the post-race tension in the cooling-down room did not bother him. "I am almost 40 and I still remember what it is like to be in my mid-20s," the seven-time world champion remarked. "I know what it's like to come out of a race. I saw that too and I thought - it's just age."
Stella, though, hinted at a possible adjustment in his managerial approach going forwards, especially if the championship contention intensifies towards the season's end. "If in the final few races one of the drivers is heavily involved in the title race, we might reconsider our approach," he explained.
"My hope is that a driver comes to me and says 'This guy is fighting for the title, if you need my help, I can help'.
"And if you manage things fairly, as we did, I think that spirit will be built." body check tags ::
