McLaren Boss Andrea Stella is not a Fan of 'Elbows Out' Racing in F1

McLaren clinched victory in Jeddah after Oscar Piastri delivered an impressive qualifying lap.

He then battled fiercely against Red Bull's Max Verstappen, leading to a penalty for the Dutch driver, which ultimately allowed McLaren to secure their fourth win in the first five races of the season.

The battle for the lead into Turn 1 exemplifies the wheel-to-wheel hard racing that compels the FIA to determine which driver adhered to the rules and which did not.

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This racing style is referred to as "elbows out," where a car positions itself to appear as large as possible, minimizing the space available to nearby drivers.

While the physical racing resulted in a victory for McLaren, team boss Andrea Stella appears to be unenthusiastic about the type of racing employed by both drivers.

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“We always say when we discuss our objectives before the race, we want to see the chequered flag,” Stella explained to GPBlog after the race.

“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.”

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Max Verstappen is recognized for this driving style, particularly during competitive title races. However, Stella believes this method may not be beneficial for the sport.

The best feeling to close the triple! 🙌#McLaren pic.twitter.com/7k2mlsDIvE
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“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," Stella added.

“And fair enough, even myself as a F1 fan would like to read an article with elbows out

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“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.”

With Verstappen likely to be the biggest challenge to McLaren winning the Drivers' Championship, Stella will need to prepare for tougher on-track battles.

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