McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella would rather see less of the “elbows out” racing seen between Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen in the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Piastri and Verstappen went wheel-to-wheel into Turn 1 at the start of last Sunday’s Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
The McLaren Aussie used the entirety of the track available to him whilst Verstappen escaped to the run-off to gain an illegal advantage in the eyes of the stewards that would later see him land a costly five-second penalty.
It was an example of two drivers testing the limits of the sporting regulations, and one coming off better than the other.
Stella, however, argued he’d prefer his team take a more risk-free approach.
“We always say when we discuss our objectives before the race, we want to see the chequered flag,” Stella explained (via GPBlog).
“There’s no point in being right and not seeing the chequered flag. So that’s the way we go racing.
“I think we race in a very fair way. Elbows out is a narrative that is not part of our internal conversations, nor do I think it should be part of the way the drivers go racing.
“It’s tough, like I said before, it’s tough racing. But it needs to be fair racing and within the regulations.”
McLaren ‘want to race within the regulations’
Stella added a fan perspective to his argument, admitting that from the outside, the ‘elbows out’ narrative is attractive.
Indeed, F1 media has dined well on the Verstappen/Piastri confrontation.
But Stella explained that the reality within McLaren is different, and his drivers are programmed to race within the confines of the rulebook.
“Well, the all elbows out is a metaphor which I think works very well when we have to create a narrative, like for an article.
“And fair enough, even myself as a F1 fan would like to read an article with elbows out
“But this kind of narrative, when we come to actually programming drivers in terms of their mindset, the approach of the team, that’s not how you look at things.
“You want to race within the regulations, you want to race in a clear way, you want to race maximising what you have available.”
Piastri fell on the right side of the rulebook in Saudi Arabia, but Stella will no doubt breathe easier if Miami next time out plays smoother down into Turn 1.
READ MORE – McLaren: Red Bull should’ve told Max Verstappen to cede lead in F1 Saudi GP
