Ex-F1 Team Boss Applauds Lando Norris for Being ‘Man Enough’ to Take Blame for Oscar Piastri Clash

Former Haas boss Guenther Steiner appreciated Lando Norris' ability to take responsibility over his collision with Oscar Piastri at Canadian GP.

Ex-F1 Team Boss Applauds Lando Norris for Being ‘Man Enough’ to Take Blame for Oscar Piastri Clash

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (via F1)

Lando Norris had a disastrous race at the Canadian GP. The British driver seemed strong at the start of the weekend, but faded away by Sunday. The McLaren star committed the biggest sin in racing when he collided with his teammate Oscar Piastri during the race. Though, former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner has given a nod of respect to Norris for accepting his mistake straightaway.

During the ending stages of the race, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were in a close wheel-to-wheel battle. The former misjudged the room he had and tried to make a move on the Australian driver. Ultimately, Norris incurred damage as he hit the wall on the main straight and was forced to retire from the race. On the other hand, Piastri went on to finish in fourth place.

Following the crash, Lando Norris instantly got on the team radio and apologized to the McLaren pitwall. He accepted that it was his fault for making this stupid error.

Guenther Steiner highlighted that Norris had cost the team some crucial points, which would be extremely frustrating for the Woking-based squad. The former Haas boss asserted that there was no space for the Briton to make a move on Piastri, citing it as a blatant mistake. However, Steiner was glad to see Norris being man enough to take the blame for the incident, without any debate.

A frustrating race for McLaren, and Norris cost his team many points. Now honestly. Where did Lando want to overtake at this point? It doesn’t work there at all. Norris made a blatant mistake, and after all, he was man enough to stand up and take responsibility straight away.

Guenther Steiner told Talksport

McLaren can’t take Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri ‘lightly’

McLaren has emerged as the favorites for the 2025 world title after winning the championship last year. The Woking-based squad has the fastest car on the grid, significantly ahead of Red Bull. Yet, Max Verstappen remains a real threat to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as the Dutchman has won two races.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (via Motorsportweek)
McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (via Motorsportweek)

Guenther Steiner reckoned that McLaren was lucky to see Piastri finish the Montreal race without a flat tire despite the incident. The 60-year-old claimed that even with the fastest car on the grid, the British team could not allow its drivers to be in such fierce fights. As things can change drastically by the end of the season with such incidents hampering the team’s prospects.

McLaren has had a huge duel in this situation, because normally the person in front pulls at least one flat tire in such a touch. Certainly, McLaren has the best car, even if it was not seen in Canada. But even against this background, no racing team should award World Championship contenders so lightly. Nobody can say what else is coming in the two remaining season thirds.

Guenther Steiner explained

Certainly, McLaren will need to lay down a clear rule for its drivers. While Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are allowed to race under ‘Papaya rules’, another such incident could change the situation. Norris and Piastri must take caution when it comes to battling one another on-track, ensuring that they keep the team’s goals above their own.

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