Andrea Stella declares the collision between Norris and Piastri “unacceptable”
Andrea Stella has admitted that the contact between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the Canadian Grand Prix was « unacceptable ». The McLaren team boss admitted that Norris « paid the price in the championship » after having to retire from the race.
Lando Norris was battling with Oscar Piastri for fourth place in the final laps when he managed to pass his teammate at the hairpin. But Oscar Piastri quickly regained the advantage, and as Lando Norris attempted to overtake again on the straight, he came into contact with the rear of his teammate’s car.
Read also: Lando Norris apologizes for being stupid in his duel with Oscar Piastri
A costly abandonment
The collision forced Lando Norris to retire, while Oscar Piastri was able to continue and maintained his fourth position after a pit stop under the safety car. Lando Norris later apologized for the incident, admitting it was a mistake in judgment on his part. The stewards also penalized him with a five-second penalty for responsibility in the accident.
When asked about this incident on the post-race show of F1 TV, Andrea Stella stated: « We never want to see a McLaren involved in an accident, let alone see both McLarens make contact. This situation, as we know, is not acceptable. That said, we appreciate that Lando immediately acknowledged his mistake and apologized to the team, which allowed us to “reset” things. I’m sure he will learn an important lesson from this race, and he has already paid the price in the championship. »
« As I said, we appreciate his attitude right after the incident, and now we are focusing on what comes next », he continues.
A change in the team’s dynamic?
Although McLaren has always been clear about the papaya rules (the internal team guidelines), Andrea Stella was questioned about the possibility that this incident might change the internal dynamics.
« That doesn’t change anything because it was a misjudgment », he explained. « It’s not like the driver acted with an intention contrary to the team’s principles, it was just a poor assessment of the distance with the car ahead. »
« If Lando had reacted differently, then we would undoubtedly have needed to have a serious discussion. But he immediately understood that he had simply misjudged the situation. It caused a problem for him, for the team, and it almost caused one for Oscar », he explains.
For his part, McLaren CEO Zak Brown praised Lando Norris’s transparency, as the latter acknowledged his mistake on social media after a race where George Russell and Kimi Antonelli achieved a 1-3 finish for Mercedes, with Max Verstappen placing between them.
« Bravo to Mercedes and Kimi for this first podium », wrote Zak Brown on Instagram. « Great job by the team in the pits, with fast cars and solid drivers. And there you go, it happened. Thank you for your honesty, Lando. Great race Oscar. We’re learning. We move forward together. »
