New Delhi, Sep 2
Oscar Piastri’s audacious move on teammate Lando Norris in the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday raised eyebrows on the pit wall and prompted McLaren boss Zak Brown to promise a review of the incident.
After a stellar performance in qualifying, where Norris led a McLaren one-two, expectations were high for the Woking-based team. The race began according to plan, with both drivers holding their positions into the first corner. However, as they approached the second chicane, Piastri made a bold move around the outside of Norris, catching the Briton by surprise and forcing him off the racing line. This allowed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to capitalise, taking second place and eventually going on to win the race with a strategic one-stop gamble.
"It was an aggressive move, but I have not spoken to them about that yet," Brown told Sky Sports F1. "The start was great and what we had discussed - to fan out - but I think Lando was probably caught by surprise with that move, so it is something we will discuss."
Brown acknowledged that while the move was clean, it was nerve-wracking to watch from the pit wall. "It is about respecting your teammate," he said. "They didn't touch, it was an aggressive pass but a clean pass."
Despite the overtaking drama, the race unfolded as a missed opportunity for McLaren. With championship leader Max Verstappen struggling to finish sixth in a rare off-weekend for Red Bull, Norris had a prime chance to close the gap in the Drivers' Championship. Although he secured third place and an extra point for the fastest lap, Norris could have made significant gains had he not lost track position early in the race. Instead, he now sits 62 points behind Verstappen, still within striking distance.
The team also missed out on a potential one-two finish that would have catapulted them to the top of the Constructors' Championship. Instead, McLaren closed the gap to Red Bull, trailing by just eight points but left pondering the strategic decisions that might have made the difference.
"The No. 1 priority is to win both championships," Brown reiterated. "They are both young drivers who want to win and we have always believed in having two No 1s. That has always been McLaren's way and can be difficult to manage. They get along great and race clean."
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella echoed Brown's sentiments, calling for a calm review of the race to understand what could have been done differently. "In terms of expectation and the impression of the drivers, and also the overtaking itself, we will have to take a look with some calm, have a review together with them, and then we will assess the situation," Stella explained.
Piastri, who looked poised to challenge for his first Formula 1 victory, ultimately saw his hopes dashed as Ferrari’s strategy paid off. Leclerc’s one-stop gamble, along with a strong drive from teammate Carlos Sainz, put the Scuderia in a position of strength. McLaren, who opted for a more conventional two-stop strategy, found themselves unable to reclaim the lead.
"It's disappointing in the sense that we had the performance to win the race," Stella admitted. "I think for Leclerc it was a little easier to take a gamble on the one-stop because he was the car following. For us, with Lando, we had a lock-up on the front left which meant the tyre was going, so we went clearly on a two-stopper. With Oscar, it was more marginal, but he had and we had concerns as well, so we went on a two."
As McLaren prepares for the next round of the championship, the team will reflect on what could have been a landmark weekend. While Piastri’s aggressive pass on Norris may have set the tone for a fierce internal rivalry, the focus now shifts to ensuring that both drivers can maximise their potential in the races to come.
"We thought we would have time to recover the lead but Ferrari did a very good job," Stella concluded. "Leclerc drove very well, so we also have to acknowledge that competitors can do a good job and make, in this case, the one-stop work."
With the championship battle still wide open, McLaren will need to find the balance between allowing their drivers to race and making the most of their opportunities to challenge Red Bull at the top.
