Andrea Stella recalled "stressful moments" on the pit wall as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri battled it out for victory during the Austrian Grand Prix.
It was an almost flawless weekend for the Woking-based outfit, who brought home maximum points after 70 racing laps around the Red Bull Ring.
Norris got the measure of his Australian teammate Piastri over the three days in Spielberg, starting on pole and holding the lead for most of the Grand Prix to close the gap at the head of the Drivers' Standings.
Piastri's lead in the championship has shrunk to just 15 points from Norris. Meanwhile, third-placed Verstappen failed to score points after retiring in a first-lap crash with Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Drivers Handled The Situation Perfectly
There were a number of times where Piastri tried to overtake Norris for the lead, but despite numerous attempts the less experienced driver couldn't get past as the Briton didn't put a foot wrong in his defence.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the 70-lap event, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella looked back at the nail-biting moments between his two drivers.
He said: "It was intense racing but that’s what we are here for, a race. It was an open race today.
"Here in Austria, it’s a special track in which, when you get the DRS, you stay hooked to the car ahead. This is what happened in the first stint, because the pace between Lando and Oscar was very similar.
"They stayed together and at the end of the stint Oscar actually had a couple of chances. There was also another one in the middle of the stint. But we are very happy, very proud of how they handled the situation," stated Stella.
Read Also: Antonelli remorseful, Verstappen dismissive after opening lap crashMcLaren's weekend almost ended in disaster when Piastri locked up at Turn 4 alongside Norris, missing the race leader's rear right tyre by millimetres.
On this, Stella added: "We needed to give Oscar a bit of advice in terms of the manoeuvre in corner four, which he actually acknowledged.
"I’m proud of him for how he said straight after the chequered flag that he was sorry for that manoeuvre, he went a little too far. It’s not easy. It’s Formula 1, he’s racing hard, but it’s a good day."
What We Like To See
When asked by media if the side-by-side action between Norris and Piastri caused concern in the McLaren pit wall, Stella admitted that while it was stressful, he has absolute trust that his two drivers will keep things civil behind the wheel.
He continued: "They are obviously stressful moments but we trust, we rely on Oscar and Lando. And also, once we are on the pit wall, you just try to stay as chilled as possible, analyse rationally what is going on.
"But for us, it was clear that the guys both needed to have the opportunity to win the race, as long as they do it in the way they’ve done it today."
Stella concluded by stating that he hopes for more on-track action between Norris and Piastri as both drivers fight for the Title, even if it creates a sense of unease at times in the pits and in the factory.
"So it’s a great spectacle for Formula 1," Stella said.
"We are happy that we entertain our fans and we look forward to more races like this, even if, yes, it may give us some nervousness on the pit wall. But that’s what we’re here for."
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