Lando Norris Criticizes Piastri’s Aggressive Start at Monza as McLaren’s Strategy Falls Short Again

Lando Norris expressed concerns that Oscar Piastri came dangerously near him on the first lap at Monza. He remarked, "If I had braked just one meter later, we both might have been out of the race at that corner."

Lando Norris expressed his disapproval of Oscar Piastri's bold move during the first lap of the F1 Italian Grand Prix.

Norris, who began the race from the pole position, lost the lead to Piastri by the time they reached Turn 4.

The British driver was taken by surprise when Piastri executed a daring maneuver on the outside of the turn.

That moment turned out to be crucial in the race as Piastri overtook Norris, and both McLaren drivers ended up finishing behind Charles Leclerc, who was on a one-stop strategy.

In an interview with Sky following the race, Norris confessed he was "somewhat" taken aback by Piastri.

"Just a bit. If necessary, I would have delayed braking," Norris mentioned. "There was a significant distance behind us, so there was no danger. I think he came uncomfortably close. We both could have crashed at that turn if I had braked a meter later."

"If I had the chance to go back, I'd make a few changes. Both Oscar and Charles performed well in the race."

McLaren’s choice to implement a two-stop strategy allowed Leclerc to take the lead in the race, a position he maintained even as Piastri closed in rapidly during the final laps.

Norris thinks that McLaren couldn’t manage a one-stop strategy similar to Ferrari because of an issue with the front tyres wearing out too quickly.

"Actually, Charles ended up winning by two seconds," Norris commented. "Him taking the lead likely earned him those two extra seconds during the race. But, I'm not entirely sure…"

"They executed a strategic move that we can't replicate with our current capabilities. We considered a one-stop strategy and were prepared for it, but we couldn't pull it off. Our front tires wore out too quickly, which is a current shortcoming for us."

“We have a solid rear, which has helped us perform well in various races. However, today we faced issues with front tire degradation, which proved challenging for us. It was evident that Charles and the Ferrari team had an advantage over us in this aspect."

"We anticipated that another team might perform better with the tires, and it turned out to be the Ferraris who did."

Do McLaren embrace sufficient risk?

A common critique aimed at McLaren questions whether they adopt enough strategic risks.

Monza was not the initial instance where McLaren lost a likely victory because of their strategic decisions.

When questioned about whether McLaren tends to avoid risks, he responded, "It's easy to judge things in retrospect. We constantly evaluate our decisions. Today didn't go in our favor; we didn't handle things perfectly. However, I wouldn't say we made mistakes either. Personally, I couldn't have managed with just one pit stop."

"Trailing behind the lead car is more challenging than being out front – that's the nature of racing. Staying close to Oscar forced me to use up my tyres faster, which meant I had to pit sooner. This was the cost of not having clear track ahead. Both of us were at a disadvantage compared to the Ferrari."

"We did everything we could at the moment. Looking back, we might see ways to improve and be better prepared. I believe we gave it our all today, but we simply didn’t have what Ferrari possessed."

Discover More

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Website Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to reproduce any part or the entirety of the text, photos, or images in any manner.