McLaren Chief Reacts To Lando Norris - Oscar Piastri Clash At Italian Grand Prix

Alex Harrington | Sep 1, 2024

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; McLaren driver Lando Norris (GBR) races during qualifying at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri found themselves at the center of a clash that significantly affected their race outcomes at the Italian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari capitalized on the internal competition, clinching second place and later victory in a fiercely contested race. McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has called for a comprehensive review to understand the implications of the incident between his Papaya drivers.

The race commenced with Norris starting from pole position, taking an early lead, while Piastri defended against Mercedes' George Russell. Piastri then made an audacious attempt to overtake Norris, which allowed Leclerc to move up to second and eventually take the lead. As the race unfolded, Piastri initially led, followed by Leclerc and Norris. 

Stella shared his immediate thoughts on the incident between his drivers, revealing the need for reflection.

"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," he said.

Despite the promising pace shown by McLaren, Stella expressed a degree of disappointment that the team did not convert their potential into a race win.

"It’s disappointing in the sense that we had the performance to win the race. But it was a race that was a very close race between a one and two. Most cars went for the two. I think for Leclerc it was a little easier to take a gamble on the one-stop because he was the car following," Stella noted.

Regarding the race strategy, most teams, including McLaren, favored a two-stop approach. However, Ferrari's decision to gamble on a one-stop strategy paid dividends.

"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," he said.

"We thought we would have time to recover the lead but Ferrari did a very good job. 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." He concluded on a positive note: "So well done to Ferrari, but a strong weekend for McLaren, overall a very positive weekend."

As the season progresses, the dynamic between McLaren's drivers will be crucial if they are serious about competing for the driver's championship. The Italian Grand Prix may have been a missed opportunity, but it may have just laid the groundwork.