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Lando Norris on Getting a Free Pass From Oscar Piastri in Brazil: “People Are Trying to Come Up With Something”

Vidit Dhawan
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Oscar Piastri of the McLaren F1 Team MCL38 and Lando Norris of the McLaren F1 Team MCL38 pose for a portrait

Oscar Piastri of the McLaren F1 Team MCL38 and Lando Norris of the McLaren F1 Team MCL38 pose for a portrait during the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on October 31 to November 3, 2024.
Credits: IMAGO / NurPhoto

Max Verstappen’s sublime win in Sao Paulo from 17th on the grid may have ended all of Lando Norris’ hopes of winning his maiden championship this season. However, a day before the Dutchman’s victory, Norris received criticism for an entirely different reason when he won the sprint race at Interlagos.

Many believed that the sprint race win was handed to Norris after he received a ‘free pass’ from McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. While that may be the case, the Briton has now defended McLaren’s decision to help him win.

“But that didn’t change the championship points, so…I feel like a lot of people are trying to come up with something here. I’m not saying you are, but we’ve never done something that harmed the team,” Norris said during the Las Vegas Grand Prix pre-race press conference.

He added that all McLaren did was swap positions, which did not hurt them as they did not lose out on any points. Norris made it clear that he and McLaren as a whole will never do something that will hurt the team in any way as he is well aware that his priority is to help the team.

Having said that, he did admit that Piastri letting him pass did help him win the Sao Paulo GP sprint. Norris does not see anything wrong in McLaren’s decision as he is the one who is “in the fight for the championship”.

Norris then concluded his remarks by reminding everyone of how he too has played the team game when he was not in a position to win — the case in point being the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Briton did his best to hold up Sergio Perez in that race to ensure that the Mexican did not undercut Piastri. As a result, Piastri went on to win the race and McLaren secured a big haul of points.

So, Norris is indeed right when he claims that both Piastri and he have never done anything to cost the team. The same is evident in the Constructors’ Championship as McLaren currently lead the standings by 36 points from second-placed Ferrari, with three race weekends remaining.

Post Edited By:Aishwary Gaonkar

About the author

Vidit Dhawan

Vidit Dhawan

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Vidit Dhawan, a Formula 1 Editor at The SportsRush, is intrinsically connected with everything around the sport — from the engine roar, the cacophony on the grandstands to the action. He fell in love with F1 during the inaugural Indian GP in 2011. After more than a decade of deep engagement with the sport, Vidit insists he will remain a lifelong fan of Fernando Alonso, and sees the future of F1 in Charles Leclerc. A sports fanatic from childhood, he discovered his passion for writing while pursuing a bachelor's degree in international and global studies. Vidit has written over 1,700 articles, ranging from news reports to opinions. He thrives covering live action, and loves to dig into the contrasting personalities in the F1 bandwagon and narrate their journey in life as well as the sport. Vidit also follows tennis and football, enjoys playing as well as coaching chess.

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