28/07/2025 11:05
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has rejected speculation that
a depleting battery played a role in Oscar Piastri overtaking Lando
Norris in the Belgian Grand Prix. Following an 80-minute delay,
the race finally got underway after four laps behind the safety
car. Once green flag running started, Norris lost the lead within a
matter of seconds. Piastri used Norris' tow to overtake the Briton
into Les Combes, in identical fashion to how Max Verstappen claim
the Sprint lead on him at Spa-Francorchamps. That proved to be the
race winning move, as Piastri managed his tyres after everyone
pitted for slicks to win by 3.4s. However, there was speculation
that Norris had a weakened MCL39 when racing started, playing a
role in Piastri sweeping past. Norris received a radio message
moments before the safety car peeled into the pit lane that his
battery level was low, before also making a mistake at the first
corner. Asked if Norris' depleting battery was the cause of
Piastri's overtake, Stella told select media, including
RacingNews365 : "In reality, when it comes to the usage of the
battery at the start, I understand that there was a slight anomaly
which actually happened on both sides. "So nothing that should have
penalised Lando in particular, compared to Oscar. [We're] still
checking the data, but this is the initial feedback I received.
"So I think the overtake, ultimately, came because it's very
difficult for the car that leads the pack to actually arrive first
in Turn 5. "It's not impossible, but it does require to have a
decent advantage as you cross the finish line, which was not the
case for Lando already under his start."
