McLaren downplay Lando Norris’ strategy complaints: ‘Ferrari have a faster car’

McLaren believe they lost o𒅌ut to Charles 🥀Leclerc on pure pace - not strategy - in Australia.

Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren MCL38. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 3, Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, Melbourne,
Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren MCL38. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 3, Australian Grand Prix,…

McLaren F1 boss Andrea Stella feels that 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lando Norris lost out to 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Charles Leclerc on pure performance rather than strategy.

Despite out-qualifying and leading Leclerc ꦦin the early phase of the race, Norris was ultimately beaten by the Ferrari driver to second-place.

After the race on Sunday, Norris thought that McLaren lost out to ☂Ferra𒀰ri on strategy at Albert Park.

He said: "I think whe✱n you take the Red Bull out of it, I would say [it was not a surprise]♐. I think our pace has been good all weekend.

"We put things together very nicely yesterday and showed a good long run pace on Frid🍃ay. So I wouldn't have said we had no chance. I didn't e🍌xpect for us to be competing against the Ferraris today and I think our pace was not as good as Carlos's, but probably better than Charles'.

"Being honest, we maybe missed out a lit✃tle bit on an opportunity to be P2 today. For us to say that, it's a good sign and I think it's a good positive for the whole team, a good boost."

Stella explained McLaren were “aggressive” with their strategy choices on Sunday, highlighting their decision to stop 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Oscar Piastri at the same time as Leclerc.

"It's possible. It's poss🅰ible. That was very, very early in the race, a race with a high degree of uncertainty as 🅺to the behaviour of the hard tyres.

Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren MCL38. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 3, Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, Melbourne,
Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren MCL38. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 3, Australian Grand Prix,…

"And in fact, we saw that there were certainly some big cars that didn't look quick at all because they were not working well wit🉐h the tyres 🀅- one is the Red Bull of [Sergio] Perez [who finished fifth].

"𝓰So, I think we actually went for this aggressive strategy, trying to pass Leclerc with Oscar. But Leclerc decided that it was a good idea as well. And they went at the same time - potentially, beca🌳use of listening to our radio.

"This also meant that Leclerc and Oscar would have gone below two cars fighting each ot♐he🌳r. So, with Lando in a strong position, we thought that was an unnecessary risk."

Strategy aside, Stella thinks Ferrari simply had the quicker car in Australia, but remains hopeful of being even more competit✱ive next time out at Suzuka.

"Leclerc finished ahead of La♐ndo because they have a faster car at the moment," he added.

"The positive news is that this faster car is not faster b🎐y much at all. We were very close, which I think is encouraging for Japan in which some of the characteristics that make Australia good for us take another step further in having a higher ratio of medium-high-speed [corners] compared to low-speed."

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