McLaren says its approach to title fight is 'very aligned' as Piastri leads Norris by 31 points

McLaren says it is very aligned on its approach to the title fight between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, with Piastri holding a 31-point lead heading into this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Australian said he trusted the team after discussions following the Italian Grand Prix, where Piastri was asked to hand second place to Norris after a pit-stop problem for the Briton. "A highly talked about moment. We've clarified a lot of things, and we know how we're going to go racing moving forward. What's happened is done," Piastri said. "We've had a lot of discussions about how we want to go racing and a lot of that is to stay for us. If we give out that info, we become very easy targets to pick off because everyone knows what we're going to do. It is all very aligned but it stays in-house."

McLaren's decisions around the guidance for how the cars ran on track have been scrutinized since Monza, where a stop-order swap reflected the team’s evolving interpretation of what constitutes a race-neutral sequence under pressure. Norris had led much of the Italian Grand Prix, but the team stopped Piastri first, hoping for a cleaner stop for the rookie. Piastri's stop went smoothly, while Norris spent four seconds struggling to fit his left-front wheel. In the aftermath, the team argued that the original pit order had to be reconsidered in the context of the weekend as a whole, even if it meant bending a pre-race plan. Piastri addressed the sequence more directly, saying, "From Monza, there was another factor outside of the slow pit stop, being the order we pitted in. That was a contributing factor to why we swapped." He added that the team’s alignment matters more than any one moment, and that he respects the decisions made in the interest of the team. "That one I'm happy to talk about because it happened. We can't plan for every scenario but we are very aligned and I respect the team's decisions and trust they will do their best to make the right one," he said. He also defended his post-race radio remark about slow pit stops being part of racing, noting that the car's context matters and that the scope of the discussion can be misunderstood when viewed in isolation.

Norris is due to speak to the media later on Thursday, with McLaren’s continued performance in the driver standings a central talking point ahead of the next round. The team’s leadership has already signaled a broader, long-term plan designed to maintain the pace and consistency that has put them in a position to threaten for both titles.

McLaren in 'remarkable position' to seal title. They can clinch the constructors' championship for the second consecutive year if the race result goes their way in Baku. They will do so if they outscore Ferrari by at least nine points, while not being outscored by Mercedes by 12 points or Red Bull by 33 points. If that is achieved, it will be the earliest the constructors' title has ever been secured by a team, with seven races still remaining this season. Piastri said: "It is a testament to all the hard work from the team. It is a pretty remarkable position we are in to be even talking about clinching the constructors' championship this early. Just a very proud moment for everyone, myself included, and just excited to get back in the car and drive all their hard work."

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who previously wore McLaren colors, paid tribute to the work done by chief executive officer Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella in turning the team’s fortunes around in recent years. "The credit has to go for Andrea and Zak that they created a winning structure and car but they were also able to manage the driver for the benefit of the team," Alonso said. "It is less exciting to watch and for media because there is no controversy in some of the wins - not yet (anyway). But instead of thinking that way we should think how good Andrea and Zak are managing everything."

Azerbaijan Grand Prix 19-21 September, with race from 12:00 BST on 21 September