**”Italian Grand Prix Drama: McLaren’s Dilemma with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Ferrari’s Triumph, and Red Bull’s Unprecedented Downfall”**

McLaren should now show support for Lando Norris – but he must also step up his game

Examining the key discussions after an eventful Italian Grand Prix, highlighting McLaren’s hesitance to fully support Lando Norris

Support Norris Now

At the Italian Grand Prix, McLaren found themselves in the spotlight once more as they let slip another chance at an F1 grand prix win.

Oscar Piastri delivered an outstanding performance at Monza, executing a bold pass on his McLaren teammate Lando Norris and then extending his lead to more than five seconds.

McLaren's careful tactic ended up costing them as they chose a two-stop plan, while Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc, opted for a single stop and eventually secured victory in their home race.

This marks the fourth instance where McLaren missed a winning chance, following similar situations in Canada, Britain, and potentially Belgium, where improved strategic choices could have led to victory.

The immediate concern for McLaren is Norris' quest for the drivers' championship and deciding if they should support him at this point.

With eight races remaining, Norris is trailing Max Verstappen by only 62 points in the drivers’ championship. Considering the current performance trends of their teams, the British driver stands a solid chance of clinching this year's title.

McLaren's strong performance compared to Red Bull's struggles could inspire the top executives at the Woking team to support Norris in pursuing this year's world championship title.

Following the Monza event, it seems that team leader Andrea Stella is inclined to take this course of action.

During a press conference at Monza, with Crash.net in attendance, he stated: "We must now recognize that winning the constructor championship is within reach," Stella commented.

"Considering our current car's performance and the challenges Red Bull is facing, achieving success is certainly within reach from a driver's perspective."

“To aim for both championships, we need to ensure that the team and Lando are in the best possible shape.”

Reflecting on the events of the first lap, it is clear that Piastri's actions during his close racing with Norris were beyond reproach.

His move against Norris was impressive and assertive, and it could have secured him the victory at Monza if he had followed a one-stop strategy.

Although Piastri’s maneuver allowed Leclerc to overtake Norris, it did not violate the team's pre-race guidelines.

Nevertheless, considering Norris has a real chance of winning the world championship this year, it was an unnecessary gamble. The team could have managed this with straightforward pre-race guidelines about behavior after the initial corners.

Nonetheless, Norris himself cannot be exempt from criticism due to his poor defense against Piastri, which essentially allowed his teammate to overtake him.

Certainly, the team must decide their strategy starting from Azerbaijan. However, Norris needs to refrain from encouraging Piastri (as he did in Hungary) to disrupt his championship campaign.

Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Verstappen have all shown a fierce competitive edge against their teammates when necessary. Now, it's Norris's turn to adopt the same approach.

Exceeding Expectations on Race Day

Leclerc has consistently delivered impressive performances during the 2024 races, and his showing at Monza was no exception.

Despite initially expressing frustration over being outmaneuvered by Norris, Leclerc showcased excellent tyre management once he had open track after both McLaren cars pitted for their second stops. This allowed him to secure a heartfelt win.

Historically, Leclerc frequently earned the reputation of being a 'quali merchant' or someone with only one skill, because of his exceptional speed during qualifying sessions on Saturdays, where he often secured pole position, but then failed to maintain that performance during the race.

This year's Ferrari has improved balance and a more neutral approach to handling its tires, allowing Leclerc to demonstrate his top-tier skills in tire preservation during races on Sundays.

Leclerc has proven himself to be a versatile driver, poised to challenge Hamilton significantly in the upcoming year.

Red Bull's struggles persisted at the Italian Grand Prix, where Verstappen ended up in sixth place, trailing Leclerc by more than 35 seconds.

Considering their strong start to the season, where they were dominant in the initial races, it is perplexing to see them now leaving a race weekend ranked as the fourth-best team.

A decline in performance like this has never been seen before.

Brawn GP transitioned from being a leading race-winning team to a position comparable to Red Bull's current standing, primarily due to financial constraints and limited development.

Red Bull possesses all the necessary resources and staff to improve their situation.

The concerning aspect for Red Bull is that McLaren has enhanced their vehicle with their recent upgrades at the Dutch Grand Prix. Additionally, with tracks like Azerbaijan and Singapore approaching, which are not anticipated to favor the RB20, Red Bull might face further challenges.

New Audi CEO Witnesses Challenges Firsthand

Newly appointed Audi CEO Mattia Binotto attended the Italian Grand Prix this weekend, observing from the Sauber team’s garage.

This is the first occasion we've observed the ex-Ferrari chief engaging with the Hinwil team since his announcement in July.

Binotto is set to lead Audi's Formula 1 team as both the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer, working alongside Jonathan Wheatley. Wheatley will take on the role of team principal once he transitions from Red Bull.

The Italian faces a colossal task as Sauber sits at the bottom of the constructors' championship standings.

Sauber has yet to achieve a top 10 finish in 2024, and the race at Monza did not improve their record.

Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu secured the last positions on the starting grid and were clearly the slowest team during the race.

Binotto explained to Motorsport.com, "It's not something we can allow. This team needs to evolve into a championship team down the line. The path to achieving that is by making continuous progress and advancing. We have to prepare ourselves for future success."

“Indeed, I believe that improvement is essential. It's crucial not only for us but also for the team, the brand, and our partners. Staying in our current position is simply not acceptable.”

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