Italian GP: Lando Norris Addresses Oscar Piastri Close Call Costing Him The Lead

Lando Norris addresses his close call with Oscar Piastri during the Italian GP, reflecting on the incident and discussing the impact it had on his race.

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; McLaren driver Lando Norris (4) celebrates winning the Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

McLaren driver Lando Norris has addressed the close call with teammate Oscar Piastri that ultimately cost him the lead at the start of the Italian Grand Prix.

Lando Norris, who had started from pole position, found himself grappling for control as Piastri made a bold overtaking attempt, raising questions about McLaren not choosing a number one driver and letting the pair race. Reflecting on the incident, Norris remarked to Sky Sports F1 during the live broadcast:

"I feel he got way too close for comfort. We could both have easily been out in that first corner if I broke one metre later.

"If I could rewind, I would do stuff slightly differently. But it is what it is.

"Charles won by two seconds in the end and the fact he got ahead probably gained him two seconds over the course of the race.

"We couldn't achieve a one-stop as our degradation was too high on the front tyres. That is a weakness for us at the minute."

Norris added:

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing. We always review things.

"We are doing a very good job. Today was not our day and we didn't get things correct but I wouldn't say we got them wrong either.

"I certainly couldn't have done a one stop as a second car, which is tougher than being the first car.

"Trying to keep with Oscar in the dirty air meant I had to use a lot more tyre. That is just the price I paid."

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella commented after the race:

"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. And if there’s any learning to take from that, we will take it for the future." 

The race saw Charles Leclerc of Ferrari clinch the top spot on the podium, followed by Oscar Piastri in second. Lando Norris, despite the setback, managed to secure third place and clinched the fastest lap of the race. McLaren has now closed the gap to championship leader Red Bull to just 8 points.

2024 Italian Grand Prix Results

1. Charles Leclerc
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Lando Norris - Fastest Lap
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Max Verstappen
7. George Russell
8. Sergio Perez
9. Alex Albon
10. Kevin Magnussen
11. Fernando Alonso
12. Franco Colapinto
13. Daniel Ricciardo
14. Esteban Ocon
15. Pierre Gasly
16. Valtteri Bottas
17. Nico Hulkenberg
18. Zhou Guanyu
19. Lance Stroll
20. Yuki Tsunoda - DNF