McLaren has plans to review whether Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s opening-lap battle in Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix adhered to the team’s rules of engagement. The incident raised questions about how the team manages the competitive relationship between its two drivers, both of whom are considered top contenders for the championship.
Norris, starting from pole position, appeared to have banished his wretched start record. However, Piastri completed a bold move round the outside at the Turn 4/5 chicane, which Charles Leclerc capitalised on to rise into second. That move proved to be a vital moment as Norris came home behind Piastri in third place, as Leclerc then executed a superb one-stop strategy to beat the McLaren drivers.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella has admitted that it will have to decide whether Piastri’s overtake cohered with the team’s rules when it comes to the two racing on track. Asked whether Piastri’s pass complied with McLaren’s ‘Papaya Rules’, Stella responded: “We will have to review together with the drivers, with the videos.
“Understand their point of view and then we will assess together whether they were fully compliant or not.
“We will take the learning, if there is any learning they need to take, and then we will apply the ‘papaya rules’ such that they allow us to pursue in the best possible manner both the constructors’ championship and the drivers’ championship.”
Team Order Debate
The incident sparked a debate about whether McLaren should have intervened to swap the cars in the final laps, as their chances of chasing down Leclerc for victory faded. Norris admitted that he would have appreciated McLaren imposing team orders to allow him to finish ahead of Piastri, but also recognized that it was not up to him to make that decision. “I mean, I would love it, but… it’s not up to me,” Norris replied. “It's tough because obviously I think as any driver you don't want [team orders]. You don't want things to just be played that way and yeah… it's a tough one.
“Obviously I wouldn't say we’re running out of time, but time is going away slowly. I still believe that we can do it; you know the pace is obviously great,” added Norris, who won last time out in Zandvoort. “I still believe we probably had close to, if not the best car again today, so I don't know. It's not for me to decide. It's for the team.
“But I think we're still working together well and we're still helping one another and I think that's showed plenty of times this year that we're working together very well as a team and we're performing as the best team out on the grid and we're very happy with that. But yeah, I don't know – when you’re fighting for a championship, you want every little thing and I'm doing everything I can.
“The best way simply is just to win the race and I didn't do that today because of some silly things. So yeah, this is for the team, not for me.”
'Too Close for Comfort'
While both drivers ended the race on the podium, Norris expressed his unease with how close Piastri came to hitting him during the pass. “There was a big gap behind and between us two cars, there's no risk. I feel like he got way too close for comfort,” Norris said. “We both easily could have been out in that corner if I break one metre later.
“Obviously, if I could rewind, I'd do stuff slightly differently. But it is what it is, Oscar drove a good race and so did Charles [Leclerc, who won the race for Ferrari].”
When asked in the press conference to expand on McLaren's rules of engagement and on what he could have done differently, Norris said: “Just don't crash, that's all. There was no contact, so he did a good job. [I could] just brake a bit later, but sometimes it's easier said than done.
“Oscar obviously braked on the limit and gave me space. It was just about enough. I did my best to avoid anything else happening. But at the same time - you don't know and you can't predict - but if I had braked two metres later it could easily have been a crash.
“So, it's a tough one. The easiest thing is just to brake way later and force him off and kind of treat it like anyone else. Obviously, I took it easy. I saw we had a massive gap behind, so maybe I was just a bit too much on the cautious side and paid the price.”
Piastri's Perspective
Piastri saw no bones in his pass, saying: “I braked later and got around the outside. There wasn't really much more to it than that. We both got through unscathed.
“Once I hit the brakes, I got ahead a bit and I knew I was kind of entitled to stay on the outside.
“Ultimately, for 38 laps of that race, it put me in a race-winning position. So for me it was just a good first lap.”
A Learning Experience
While the incident created tension between the drivers, it also highlights the delicate balancing act teams face when managing two highly competitive drivers. McLaren’s review of the incident will be crucial in ensuring that the team maintains a strong and harmonious relationship between its drivers, while also maximizing its championship prospects. The outcome of this review could have a significant impact on the remainder of the season, shaping the title battles for both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
What's Next?
The focus now shifts to the upcoming races. McLaren will need to implement the lessons learned from Monza to ensure that its drivers can continue to compete aggressively without compromising the team’s overall goals. The team has the potential to be a force to be reckoned with, but only if it can find a way to manage its driver rivalry effectively and navigate the tricky waters of team orders. The next few races will be crucial in determining how McLaren will respond to this challenge, and whether it can truly become a title contender.
