How Norris called for position swap with Piastri to win sprint race · RaceFans

Lando Norris won the Interlagos sprint race thanks to his team making way for him with two laps to go.

Oscar Piastri led all the way from pole position until lap 22, when McLaren called for the pair to swap places.

The exchange of positions was widely expected as Norris is the closest threat to championship leader Max Verstappen. But with Charles Leclerc and Verstappen stalking their cars early in the race, McLaren kept their drivers running first and second at the head of the field until they judged the time was right to swap their cars.

Eventually Verstappen passed Leclerc and closed on Norris. When Nico Hulkenberg stopped on track with a technical problem, McLaren responded by swapping their drivers around, at Norris’ urging.

“Ideally you would do it earlier,” team principal Andrea Stella admitted after the race, “but the situation never materialised for this being done in a safe situation, because as soon as you swap, you would have the guy in third that has a possibility to overtake McLaren, and this wouldn’t fit our principle that the team result comes first.”

At one stage Norris expressed concern that the team did not swap the position earlier on. But Stella said they were being careful not to jeopardise the maximum score for the team.

“We were monitoring the gaps to Leclerc before, and [then] Verstappen to see if we could have executed an easy overtake between Lando and an Oscar before the end,” Stella told Sky. “But actually that gap never materialised.

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“So we needed to watch for a case of a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car. It actually appeared due to the incident with the car stopping on track. So we immediately executed.”

He praised the drivers and their race engineers for their communication. “It was well done by the team, but it would not be possible without both drivers working so cohesively.

“We are definitely very happy with the conversations that are happening right now and with the support that Oscar has given to Lando.”

McLaren’s radio messages from the Interlagos sprint race

Oscar Piastri and Tom Stallard

Stallard	Good stuff. Tyre management already looking good. Cars have gone off in order.
Stallard	He has a 1.7-second gap behind him to Leclerc.
Stallard	Tyre update, please.
Piastri	Feels okay. Probably exits struggling a little bit.
Stallard	At Mergulho Give Lando DRS.
Stallard	Gap to Lando 1.1. We want to get him in DRS through management turn 11.
Stallard	Lando 0.9.
Stallard	Lando to Leclerc is 1.2. If we can, stretch that gap Oscar.
Piastri	Leclerc back in Lando’s DRS now.
Stallard	Ten laps, including this one. Ten laps, including this one.
Stallard	Okay, so the gap to Leclerc is 1.3. Obviously if Lando attacks do not make it too difficult at the moment we are happy. We want to try and pull the gap to Leclerc.
Stallard	Verstappen has passed Leclerc. Verstappen has passed Leclerc. Six laps to go. Verstappen we believe is faster than Leclerc.
Stallard	Oscar, Hulkenberg has stopped in turn 10. Double yellows, double yellows.
Stallard	Oscar, if possible, swap position with Lando. No, Hulkenberg’s got going! Do not swap positions. Do not swap position.
Stallard	Oscar swap position turn four. Verstappen is 1.2 behind Lando. There could be a Safety Car. Swap position turn four.
Stallard	Piastri lets Norris past Thanks, mate. Verstappen 1.2. Dirty air, more tyre management. Still double yellows.
Stallard	Use the battery. Versta… VSC Oscar, VSC! Delta positive. And you can go strat four. Stay out. There are two laps to go.
Stallard	For the restart suggest strat nine. VSC driving.
Stallard	Hulkenberg’s car still stationary on the inside, turn 10.
Stallard	Still double yellows here. Hulkenberg’s car still stationary on the side of the track.
Stallard	VSC ending, recharge off, recharge off, check your delta. This is the last lap. DRS enabled.
Stallard	At Juncao Overtake. Verstappen 0.9.
Piastri	Well done everyone. Good day for the team. Little bit of pace to find but well done everyone.

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Lando Norris and Will Joseph

Joseph	0.6 ahead, 1.3 behind. Suggests red A6.
Joseph	Leclerc with DRS.
Joseph	Leclerc with DRS.
Joseph	Okay, understood. Just be careful those snaps on the rear-right.
Joseph	Lando we understand. Just keep an eye on Leclerc behind. Gap is 1.1, so he does not have DRS this time.
Norris	I’m not sure what I’m doing here, mate. I thought we spoke about this.
Joseph	Understood. Keep doing what you’re doing. Just be really careful the rear-right which is hot. Leclerc with DRS.
Norris	Yeah whatever.
Joseph	Leclerc 0.7, Oscar 1.2, happy we get DRS back.
Joseph	With the gap to Leclerc at the moment we’re happy if we can to hold these positions until the last lap.
Joseph	Suggest red A4, red A4.
Norris	Yeah but I will overtake.
Joseph	So Lando, Oscar is managing the gap a bit in order to help us keep DRS. But if you try to overtake, he would not make it difficult. Gap to Leclerc 1.3. From our side, we’re happy with this.
Joseph	Car behind is now Verstappen, 1.7.
Joseph	Six laps to go Verstappen 1.4. And Lando back off braking turn one, tailwind increasing there.
Joseph	Lando Hulkenberg stopped on track turn 10.
Joseph	Double yellow.
Norris	Yeah now then, now.
Joseph	I’m trying mate, I’m trying.
Joseph	Verstappen 1.2.
Joseph	Okay this will happen in turn four. Verstappen 1.2 behind you. Just be careful in case there’s a VSC or Safety Car.
Joseph	Piastri lets Norris past And make sure you keep giving Oscar DRS. Still double yellows here. Oscar 0.9.
Bonnington	VSC, VSC.
Joseph	Virtual Safety Car deployed. Virtual Safety Car deployed.
Joseph	There are two laps to go now. We suggest strat nine in the background.
Joseph	Lando when the VSC ends just remember the car behind you, need to help out as much as possible. Hulkenberg still stationary around turn 10. Still double yellows in this area.
Joseph	This is the last lap now.
Joseph	Virtual Safety Car ending. Virtual Safety Car ending. And good slipstream to Oscar, he’s point six. DRS enabled.
Joseph	Oscar 1.0, Verstappen 1.7.