McLaren locked out the front row in qualifying at the Italian GP, with Lando Norris taking the pole position. However, on lap one of the race, his teammate Oscar Piastri made a sublime move to overtake him. Piastri’s manager and mentor Mark Webber, could not help but praise the impressive pass, which helped the Melbourne-born driver finish ahead of Norris.
On the Formula for Success podcast, Webber looked back on Piastri’s overtake at Monza. David Coulthard, who is the host, highlighted Piastri’s commitment level that many would have steered clear of. Webber, however, brought the size of modern-day F1 cars into question.
Labeling them as ‘tractors,’ Webber praised Piastri for his awareness of the space available on the track, which allowed him to complete the move. “I think we all were like, ‘That was impressive'”, the ex-Red Bull driver said.
Overtake #298:
Oscar Piastri on Lando Norris (2024 Italian Grand Prix) pic.twitter.com/T1Vb4xghhc— OvertakeCentral (@OvertakeCentral) September 3, 2024
Piastri’s audacious overtake also caught Norris off guard. He was left in a vulnerable position, as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was just behind him. Norris ended up losing P2 as well, and McLaren’s chances of making a one-stop strategy work went out of the window. Both Piastri and Norris ended up losing positions and Leclerc won the Italian GP.
Although Webber and other F1 experts praised Piastri for his move on lap one, many others stated that it backfired for McLaren.
The ‘Papaya Rules‘ established by the Woking-based team, which permitted Piastri and Norris to fight, could negatively impact McLaren and Norris’ championship chances if followed in subsequent races.
‘Papaya Rules’ hurting McLaren
With McLaren refusing to choose a number one driver, Piastri continues to push Norris to the limit. This comes despite the latter launching a pursuit of the Drivers’ championship. After Monza, the gap to Verstappen was at 62 points, but it could have been down to 53 had Norris won the Grand Prix.
Additionally, it is also affecting McLaren’s Constructors’ title hopes. The Woking-based team could have built an advantage over Red Bull after the Italian GP had they finished 1-2. Although they remained within striking distance – eight points behind – of Red Bull with their 2-3 finish, they could rue missed opportunities if Red Bull sort out their performance woes and become fast again.
As such, many experts, including 2016 World champion Nico Rosberg have called for urgency from McLaren. He wants them to make a push for the title at the earliest, warning that in F1, chances may not present themselves the same way again.
After Monza, McLaren admitted they would further assess the situation, but they may not need to look far for answers. Some of the most legendary drivers for the papaya outfit, including Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, as well as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, have been part of intra-team title battles before.
