Lando Norris Hypocritically Downplays Nasty Move On Oscar Piastri 2 Days After McLaren Boss’ Angry Diktat

Running a team with two highly competitive drivers is no easy feat, as history has shown with McLaren and Mercedes. The team’s dynamics can influence their performance. However, in recent memory, have you witnessed a team boss swiftly intervening to steer their drivers in the right direction? If not, we can have a look at the McLaren team, where the team’s drivers received a stern warning from the team boss just two days ago following a nearly catastrophic incident. This incident has now led the team’s senior driver, Lando Norris, to somewhat hypocritically downplay a questionable maneuver on Oscar Piastri.

After the upgrades introduced by McLaren, both Piastri and Norris often found themselves in competitive positions at the front of the grid. However, following the Hungarian Grand Prix, these McLaren drivers had been deprived of opportunities to compete directly with each other. Nevertheless, the Italian Grand Prix provided a chance for both of them. However, their on-track behavior did not meet the approval of the team’s boss, leaving him to take action against his boys.

How did Lando Norris display hypocrisy on Oscar Piastri?

After Oscar Piastri’s impressive performance in Monza qualifying, he started two places (P7) ahead of Norris, prompting the Brit to attempt a position swap. Initially, Norris radioed, “I’m just a lot quicker. Oscar needs to pick up the pace.” When this approach failed, Norris employed an undercut after Piastri’s pit stop when the Melburnian got the cold and hard tires.

And as soon as Piastri came out of the pits, Norris having the advantage of pitting earlier went side by side into the first corner with the 22-year-old, narrowly avoiding significant damage. This incident prompted team boss Andrea Stella to reprimand both drivers, accusing them of placing personal ambition ahead of the team’s interests. He said, “There should never ever be contact between two McLaren cars. Which doesn’t fit the go racing at McLaren.”

Amidst Andrea Stella’s public criticism of his driver, it was ultimately the Briton who clinched points. Seizing the advantage, Norris has, in a somewhat diplomatic move, downplayed his contentious maneuver over Piastri. Though it was the 23-year-old who turned into Piastri, the Briton now tries to share his perspective on the situation, explaining in a viral tweet by @TheMclarenzone, “We respect each other. We give each other space and it’s unfortunate but nothing happened, so it’s OK.”

READ MORE: Lando Norris Breaks Silence on Humiliation as Zak Brown & Co. Left Exposed by Red Bull Outcast 

Lando Norris’s actions at Monza have left fans and Formula 1 experts pondering a captivating question. Is he feeling the heat from the F2 champion?

Has the Monza incident made Norris’ sense of pressure from Oscar Piastri more evident?

Being the senior driver and enjoying preference is a desire for many, but what happens when a rookie starts giving you a tough time? The pressure can turn up the heat. Lando Norris’s journey, from challenging Carlos Sainz to dominating Daniel, has intrigued many. But now, as F2 champion Oscar Piastri openly challenges Norris and backs it up with performance, is Norris finding the heat hard to handle?

Former Renault driver Jolyon Palmer dished out his thoughts on this during the BBC Checkered Flag podcast. He pondered whether the Italian GP collision would stoke the tension between these two fiery young McLaren drivers. As quoted by Planet F1, initially he said, “I don’t see it, but Norris is definitely feeling the heat from a really good rookie this year.” 

Later he claims of the incident, “They got away with it from a team point of view and I think Norris is feeling some heat from Piastri, who’s doing a really good job, but I still think Lando has got the upper hand at McLaren. But compared to the last two years with the other Aussie in the car, Ricciardo, this is a very different prospect for Norris, who’s having to dig deep to beat his team-mate.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Lando Norris’s Innocent Mistake in Referring to Lewis Hamilton May not Please Max Verstappen & Red Bull

While the gap between Norris and Piastri remains a substantial 43 points, the stakes are high. Piastri has a chance to surpass Max Verstappen’s rookie season points record, while Norris aims to establish himself as McLaren’s top star. Who will emerge victorious as the season draws to a close?