Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri Ditched McLaren to Drive $59K Alfa Romeo to Italian GP

An F1 race is a priceless opportunity for the automakers to flaunt their supercars as a marketing trick. If that automaker happens to be one of the competitors in the championship, the impact only soars. That is because of the brand’s association with the drivers, who are no less than superstars of the sport. However, McLaren may have missed the trick at the recently concluded Italian GP.

Right from the parking space to the walk to their garages in the paddock, F1 drivers are surrounded by shutterbugs. Stepping out of a McLaren car therefore would have made for a great photo-op for the team. However, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri arrived at the Monza circuit in an Alfa Romeo car.

Not only did they miss the chance to market a McLaren car, but they also passed the advantage to a direct on and off-the-track rival. As per veteran F1 photojournalist Kym Illman, the papaya drivers arrived in an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q4. As per Illman’s recollection, that is the same car the Swiss car manufacturer’s drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu used to arrive at a circuit until last year.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, the Aussie journo said, “It really irks me that the McLaren drivers don’t drive in McLarens. I just think they’re missing out on a huge opportunity because the Ferrari drivers do [drive their team’s road car]. And they’re talked about both on this channel and elsewhere in the media perhaps.”

Meet Alfa Romeo’s new Super Sport spec, a special edition Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio variant with nods to the firm’s history https://t.co/qJ8R7kSYBs pic.twitter.com/ovG0z1KEGm

— Autocar (@autocar) May 19, 2024

As per caranddriver.com, a Stevio Q4 retails for $47,545 to $59,245, depending on the model. It houses a 280-horsepower four-cylinder turbocharged engine. The base model comes with standard rear-wheel drive with an all-wheel option. The all-wheel drive comes standard for the rest of the options.

Norris and Piastri did not arrive in a McLaren at the Dutch GP either. Both chose a Volkswagen Touareg, which, as per Illman, retails for $73,000 in the Netherlands. The Touareg is built more for comfort than impressive lap times. That would make it a perfect ride if the drivers’ hotels happen to be far from the circuit.