Following Oscar Piastri’s overtake on Lando Norris at Monza, which converted a McLaren one-two start to a two-three finish, questions arose over the Woking-based outfit’s handling of team orders. F1 expert Peter Windsor, however, foresaw this problem coming up at some point. He believes that Piastri should never have replaced Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren.
With Ricciardo at the papaya outfit, Norris seemed to be the clear number one driver. This wasn’t just down to the team ordering Ricciardo to stand down; Norris was comprehensively outperforming the Aussie. If Norris had the same advantage at the 2024 Italian GP, the Briton could only focus on what lay ahead — the World championship.
Windsor, in a YouTube video with Cameron F1, stated that the moment he heard about Piastri’s arrival at Woking, he thought, “That’s terrible news for Lando Norris. If you got a Lando, you don’t need an Oscar.”
The F1 expert took Red Bull’s example. They have three-time World champion Max Verstappen in one car, which is why they never look toward signing another elite talent. They are content with having a support driver, who can help them win the Constructors’ championship.
Similarly at McLaren, Ricciardo being next to Norris in 2024, would have likely caused the team less headache with team order controversies.
McLaren’s refusal to give team orders
At the start of the Italian GP, McLaren told Norris he was free to race Piastri freely under ‘papaya rules’. What that meant, no one knew. But it was clear that McLaren would let the drivers fight for supremacy among themselves.
Norris had the pole for the race, with Piastri starting P2. Had they held on to their position at the start, McLaren had every chance to take home a one-two finish from Monza. Instead, Piastri’s sublime overtake on his teammate made him vulnerable, and lose another position to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Overtake #298:
Oscar Piastri on Lando Norris (2024 Italian Grand Prix) pic.twitter.com/T1Vb4xghhc— OvertakeCentral (@OvertakeCentral) September 3, 2024
Thankfully for them, Red Bull had a disastrous weekend, with Verstappen finishing P6 and Sergio Perez P8. The biggest loser in this ordeal was Norris. With Verstappen finishing so far down, a win in Monza would have helped him cut the gap to the Dutchman in front significantly. Instead, by finishing third, he lost out on 10 points.
