Unyielding Piastri Shows ‘Killer Instinct’ in Battle with Norris, Impacts Championship Dynamics

Oscar Piastri commended for displaying a “killer instinct” in contest with Lando Norris

"Piastri evidently shows no concern for Norris' hope of winning the world championship against Max Verstappen…"

Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle praised Oscar Piastri for showing a true racer’s mindset and fierce determination while competing against his McLaren teammate Lando Norris in the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix.

Piastri seized the lead from Norris with a daring move at Turn 4.

The maneuver seemed to surprise Norris, leading to him being overtaken by Charles Leclerc at the following turn.

This crucial point in the competition set Norris at a disadvantage during a weekend when he had a chance to greatly cut down Max Verstappen’s lead in the championship, especially with Red Bull facing difficulties.

In his post-race column for Sky Sports, Brundle confessed that he 'admired' Piastri's mindset from a racing driver's standpoint.

"Piastri evidently shows no concern for Norris' hopes of winning the world championship against Max Verstappen, as was already apparent in Hungary when he decisively took the lead at the first corner," Brundle penned.

"The competitor within me respects this mindset. It's the reason why Piastri secured championships and found himself in a race-winning Formula 1 car. The idea of Norris achieving a world championship in the same vehicle will be the last thing to thrill him."

"This doesn't imply he won't lend a hand eventually, or that he hasn't already assisted on occasion, but that competitive mindset and fierce determination are crucial."

“I recall mentioning during the commentary in Hungary that if the situation had been flipped, would Piastri have returned the lead to Norris? I genuinely don’t know the answer to that.

"I am aware that several merciless and self-centered world champions I have competed against would not have done so."

With eight rounds remaining before the upcoming race in Azerbaijan next week, Norris trails Verstappen by 62 points.

If he had claimed victory in Hungary instead of allowing Piastri to overtake, and ended up in front of the Australian driver at Monza, the difference in points between him and Verstappen would be merely 54 – a little more than the equivalent of winning two Formula 1 races.

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