McLaren had no problem allowing its drivers to fight each other at the Italian GP last weekend, as long as they followed ‘Papaya Rules.’ However, in the process, neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri emerged as the winner of the race, despite starting P1 and P2, respectively. As a result, former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley believes these rules may come back to haunt them.
Priestley, on his YouTube channel, admitted that McLaren should prioritize Norris over Piastri, at least for the rest of the 2024 season. It would help the Woking-based team avoid incidents like Monza, where they lost out on valuable points because of the two drivers battling.
“With Oscar getting in front with that great move because he was entitled to do so, having not had instructions otherwise, with that happening it put Lando on the back foot. Of course, it allowed Charles [Leclerc] to get through,” said Priestley.
“…it was really that move that I think cost Lando and McLaren the chance to win the Grand Prix.”
Overtake #298:
Oscar Piastri on Lando Norris (2024 Italian Grand Prix) pic.twitter.com/T1Vb4xghhc— OvertakeCentral (@OvertakeCentral) September 3, 2024
Priestley wants Norris to be given preference because he is closer to Verstappen in the standings. Playing by ‘Papaya Rules‘ makes for a great spectacle. But Priestley hopes it “does not come back to bite them towards the end of the season“.
McLaren faces criticism
Priestley wasn’t the only F1 expert to question McLaren’s decision to allow Piastri and Norris to fight. Right after the Italian GP ended, journalist Will Buxton pointed out that McLaren could have, at the very least, swapped cars towards the end of the race, allowing Norris to finish in P2 and earn more points.
“…you’re not talking about giving away a victory at this point. It’s a second place,” he said.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown acknowledged that they need to go back and analyze the battle between Piastri and Norris. He admitted that Piastri’s sudden and aggressive maneuver caught Norris off guard.
Even other drivers criticized McLaren. Lewis Hamilton pointed out that with the way Norris and Piastri pushed during the first stint, they were likely to struggle to pull off a one-stop strategy. This approach, as evidenced by Charles Leclerc’s win, was the way to go.
According to the seven-time World Champion, McLaren should have instructed its drivers to manage their pace better. Had they done so, they would have finished 1-2, Hamilton concluded.
