MCLAREN said its priority is to win the Formula One constructors’ title after Lando Norris’s challenge for the drivers’ crown was all but ended in Brazil at the weekend.
“The constructors’ championship was always our priority, so this doesn’t change anything,” said team boss Andrea Stella after Norris started on pole and finished sixth while Max Verstappen won from 17th on the grid.
The Red Bull driver is now 62 points clear of the Briton, his closest rival, with three rounds and 86 points still to fight for.
That means Verstappen could clinch a fourth successive title in Las Vegas later this month.
McLaren increased its lead over Ferrari to 36 points, however.
Verstappen’s race was acclaimed as one of the great drives in the sport’s history, even by those who had criticized his style previously, although Norris suggested there was an element of luck involved.
“He drove well, he got a bit lucky,” Norris told Sky television.
Verstappen did not feel that way after the second phase of qualifying when he was caught out by a red flag that left him 12th with an additional five place drop for an engine change.
The Dutch driver had been fastest in the first phase of qualifying, while Norris just squeaked through in 15th position with his final effort and admitted later, he had felt like tearing up the garage.
In the race, Verstappen was helped by a red flag that gave him a free tire change after Norris had pitted. But that came after he had overtaken six cars on the first lap and got himself into a position to take full advantage.
Norris meanwhile made a couple of mistakes, running off track and losing positions. The wet conditions also meant there was no advantage from drag reduction.
Stella blamed the car rather than the driver, pointing out the brake problems.
“When we lock the tires with a car like we have today, I am not looking at the driver. I am looking at why the car keeps locking the front tires in conditions like this. I don’t think pressure was a significant factor at all,” he said.
“We have struggled with the lockups all weekend in wet conditions with both drivers and I think from a car point of view this is also something that we need to look into.”
