Teammate clips Piastri for ‘dangerous’ move as rivalry heats up
The family feud between Aussie Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris continued with a tense moment at the Italian Grand Prix.
The pair have been locking horns for the better part of 18 months, given Piastri led last year’s championship before being overtaken by Norris, who was aided by controversial team orders to eventually win the drivers’ title.
Oscar Piastri (left) and Lando Norris battle for fourth spot. Fox Sports
At the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Sunday night (AEST), Piastri was fighting for a podium spot - a rarity for the Aussie this season - with his teammate Norris hot on his tail late in the race.
It was on the 51st lap when Norris attempted to overtake Piastri for fourth spot, but ran wide onto the grass.
The British driver then took a swipe at his teammate.
“He pushed me off,” Norris said over team radio.
“That was very dangerous. He moved back at me after I went to the inside.”
McLaren is now set to review how it handles in-race battles between the two drivers.
But team boss Andrea Stella had no issue with Piastri’s actions on Sunday night.
“We let them race, and although Lando’s moment on the grass looked dramatic live, our analysis suggests that it was benign,” Stella said.
“This philosophy can be risky, and we will assess it carefully, always prioritising the interests of the team.”
Norris has cooled down by the time he spoke to media after the race.
“It’s just when you’re in the car, things happen very quickly,” he said.
Oscar Piastri (right) with teammate Lando Norris. Getty Images
“I kind of went to the left and he started to come back to the right, and then straightened up. Sometimes, you get a feeling of something, but I don’t think he did anything wrong … it was just a good tough fight.”
Piastri was also involved in an incident during qualifying, when he was penalised three spots for impeding Liam Lawson.
It bumped him from third to sixth on the starting grid for the grand prix.
He ended up finishing fifth, so potentially cost himself a podium spot with the qualifying error.
The Aussie was overall chipper following the race.
“I think this weekend was definitely the strongest I’ve felt for a while, and my pace was the most encouraging it has been in some time,” Piastri said.
The F1 season continues with the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday night.
