Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri started the Italian GP as a team by keeping Ferrari at bay into turn 1. However, the Aussie driver made a surprise move on Norris into the second chicane, taking the lead away from the Briton.
Piastri kept to his pace for the remainder of the Grand Prix as Norris ended up finishing behind him at the chequered flag in third. With Max Verstappen finishing sixth, the #4 driver was not able to make ideal inroads into the Dutchman’s championship lead. McLaren have now said that they will need to assess the situation before the 2024 Azerbaijan GP weekend.
Sky Sports F1 quoted team principal, Andrea Stella as explaining, “In terms of expectation and the impression of the drivers, and also the overtaking itself, we will have to take a look with some calm, have a review together with them, and then we will assess the situation. And if there’s any learning to take from that, we will take it for the future.”
PIASTRI PREND LA TÊTE DE LA COURSE À SON COÉQUIPIER #ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/drX43Gxbf7
— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) September 1, 2024
Norris‘ initial plan would have been to build a healthy gap to the chasing pack with fresh air during the start. However, Piastri’s move cost Norris the opportunity to go for the win. Eventually, Ferrari’s strategic masterclass on the pit wall to stay out on the one-stopper meant that Charles Leclerc won at home for the Scuderia with the McLaren duo finishing second and third.
Stella’s comments about reviewing Piastri’s moves did hint towards the Australian driver not conforming to the game plan the team could have devised before the Grand Prix, earlier today. Post-qualifying, Zak Brown had admitted that the team would discuss the possibility of deploying team orders before the race to give Norris the best shot at victory.
That didn’t seem to have happened and to worsen their situation, the McLaren pit wall also fumbled with their strategy that opened the doors of victory for Ferrari.
McLaren lost the Italian GP win on the pit wall
Ferrari pulled off an audacious one-stop strategy for Leclerc to take his seventh Grand Prix win before the adoring Tifosi. The Monegasque driver, who started the race on the medium tires, boxed on lap 15 for hard tires and did not stop again.
Magical moments at Monza ✨
Here’s the moment Charles Leclerc added to his home win in Monaco, with another for Ferrari in Italy #F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/d8lWa6o3h2
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 1, 2024
Both Norris and Piastri went for the two-stopper but the tire delta wasn’t enough for the latter to overtake Leclerc before the chequered flag. Stella commended Ferrari for their strategy. “We thought we would have time to recover the lead but Ferrari did a very good job,” he added.
In the end, it was Leclerc’s metronomic 38-lap stint on the hard compound of tires that allowed the #16 driver to win at Monza for the first time since 2019.
