Andrea Stella launches furious tirade on Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s Italian GP collision, brands it ‘unacceptable’
The two McLaren cars bumped each other in the turn 1 chicane of Monza.
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Oscar Piiastri (Left) Andrea Stella (Middle) and Lando Norris (Right) Credits: Imago
At the Italian Grand Prix, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were involved in an on-track collision that did not affect either of them. Despite the impact, both drivers escaped penalties. However, their team boss, Andrea Stella, was far from pleased and made his sentiments clear regarding the incident.
On Lap 24 of 52 the McLaren duo were seen battling for position, Oscar Piastri was re-joining the track from the pits and was alongside Lando Norris. Piastri’s car, on the inside, made contact with Norris’s sidepod. Although the collision caused no major damage and both drivers escaped penalties, it raised concerns about the team’s unity and prompted McLaren boss Stella’s disapproval.
After the race, Andrea Stella expressed his strong discontent regarding the incident. Speaking to Autosport.com, He emphasized, “There should never ever be contact between two McLaren cars.” Stella highlighted the significance of establishing precise guidelines saying, “What is important is to have clear parameters as to what you deem acceptable and what you deem unacceptable.”
Stella provided further clarity by affirming that his concern was not rooted in emotional reactions. He elaborated, stating, “It’s not an emotional thing, it’s just like you do with other things.” The Italian underscored the unmistakable truth that, for every driver, there exists a greater entity beyond themselves and asserted that “It is the team.”
Andrea Stella believes that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri put themselves above the team
Before their collision, Norris and Piastri engaged in a competitive race at Monza. Piastri was racing Lewis Hamilton and crashed with him, for which Hamilton apologised to him. However, Piastri did receive a five-second penalty while duelling with Liam Lawson and forcing him off the track. Meanwhile, Norris spent the majority of his race trying to pass Alex Albon of Williams but couldn’t find a way past despite his relentless efforts.
Stella suggested that the pit lane exit, especially on hard tires, posed challenges. He speculated that Piastri might have misjudged the situation while rejoining the track on colder tires. Stella believed that it could have been a minor miscalculation, emphasizing that both drivers understood the importance of avoiding contact between two McLaren cars. The McLaren boss said that the crash “means drivers put their team at risk because of affirming themselves. This is not acceptable.”
The McLaren boss stated that if the contact resulted from the pressure of the undercut strategy, it was a matter to review. He stressed that drivers should not jeopardize the team’s interests for personal gain. He praised the Ferrari pairing of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz for their clean and competitive race, showcasing the balance between team unity and individual ambition.
In case you missed it:
- Lewis Hamilton admits collision with Oscar Piastri was ‘totally his fault’ at the Italian GP
- Max Verstappen surpasses Sebastian Vettel’s win record at Monza, admits he ‘never believed’ he could pull it off
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Rohit Bhaskar
(727 Articles Published)