McLaren are set to review their approach to intra-team battles, after Lando Norris was initially left fuming at a “dangerous” Oscar Piastri move at the Italian Grand Prix that nearly caused late disaster.
The pair have been involved in one of Formula One’s strongest rivalries over the last 18 months, with Norris claiming the 2025 Drivers’ Championship after Piastri led for much of the season, amid conspiracy theories that McLaren favoured the Briton over the Australian.
And they were again neck and neck in the final laps at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza and fighting for fourth position.
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The drama arose when Norris, attempting to overtake Piastri on the 51st lap, was sent onto the grass, nearly spinning out in what would have been a disaster for McLaren so close to the finish line.
“That could have been very, very nasty indeed at high speed!” commentator David Croft exclaimed.
Norris quickly took to the team radio to take aim at Piastri, accusing his teammate of having forced him wide.
“He pushed me off,” the Briton said.
“That was very dangerous.
“He moved back at me after I went to the inside.”
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Lando Norris went onto the grass while attempting to overtake Oscar Piastri.Source: Fox SportsThe narrow miss didn’t impress the reigning Drivers’ Champion.Source: Fox Sports
Norris would later execute a stunning overtake on the 53rd and final lap to snatch fourth spot off Piastri, who had risen as high as second midway through the race but would end in fifth.
The race would be won in remarkable fashion by Drivers’ Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who rose from 19th on the grid to claim a stunning victory for Mercedes and becoming the first local to win the Italian Grand Prix in 60 years.
The reigning champion had cooled off by the time of his post-race interview, however, taking back his claim Piastri had caused the near-crash.
“It’s just when you’re in the car, things happen very quickly,” Norris said.
“I kind of went to the left and he started to come back to the right, and then straightened up.
“Sometimes, you get a feeling of something, but I don’t think he did anything wrong … it was just a good tough fight.”
McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri congralate each other. (Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Piastri was also feeling confident after what he described as a “tough battle”.
“I think it was good racing. I think it was the best result we could’ve got as a team,” the Australian said.
“I think this weekend was definitely the strongest I’ve felt for a while, and my pace was the most encouraging it has been in some time.
“Ultimately, we were the third-quickest team today. Mercedes were clearly a lot quicker than everybody, and even Max had more pace than we anticipated.
Ferrari in chaos as Kimi seals comeback | 02:46
It was a good result for the team and probably the best result we could have got. It was an intense, hot race, but it’s felt much better and hopefully, we can continue this positive momentum going forward.”
Speaking after the race, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said they would “assess” the near-miss, but praised both drivers.
“We let them race, and although Lando’s moment on the grass looked dramatic live, our analysis suggests that it was benign,” Stella said.
“This philosophy can be risky, and we will assess it carefully, always prioritising the interests of the team.”
Piastri had started sixth on the grid after receiving a three-place penalty in qualifying for impeding Liam Lawson, while Norris had begun in eighth.
The Australian had also been involved in early drama, with Charles Leclerc crashing out on just the second lap after battling with him for position.
Leclerc crashes out amidst Piastri duel | 00:48
The pair sit eighth (116 points) and fourth (171) respectively on the Drivers’ Standings, well behind leader Antonelli (267), who moved 66 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell with his win.