Piastri expressed regret following the close call with Norris, according to Stella.
"We communicated to Oscar that it was slightly too tight."
Despite their previous confrontation two weeks ago in Canada, the McLaren teammates engaged in a thrilling and nearly flawless battle for victory in the Austrian GP. Lando Norris, who started from pole and ultimately won, faced repeated challenges from championship leader Oscar Piastri, including one particularly close moment.
Team principal Andrea Stella expressed pride in how both Oscar and Lando managed the situation, as he emphasizes driver equality under the so-called 'papaya rules' following the team's one-two finish in Austria. He noted, "There was only one situation in turn four where it got tight," while speaking to Sky Deutschland. "We communicated to Oscar that it was a bit too tight. I’m also proud of Oscar for immediately apologizing for that incident right after the race.
"That reflects the character of both drivers and their sportsmanship." After Norris collided with Piastri’s rear wheel in Canada, leading to his retirement, he quickly apologized to his Australian teammate and the team. This incident led to what Norris described as an intense post-race debriefing. Stella remarked, "The debriefing after Canada focused on minor incidents. It simply shows that we can allow a little more space between ourselves. We don't have to be perfectly precise to still be competitive."
McLaren's impressive performance in Austria led Verstappen and his Red Bull team to essentially concede their championship hopes. "The two McLarens proved that we are certainly the fastest cars," Stella admitted. Sunday also demonstrated Norris's ability to recover from setbacks, despite his reputation in the paddock for having a weaker mentality compared to the unshakable Piastri.
"Not much has changed with Lando," Stella asserted. "In Monaco, he won from pole. What happened in Canada was unfortunate, but now he has secured pole and the win here." Meanwhile, Piastri's lead over Norris in the championship standings has narrowed to 15 points. "I did my best," the Australian stated. "Perhaps we pushed the limits a bit too far at times, but it was enjoyable, and that’s what we're here for - to race freely and compete for victory."
Other articles
Marko dismisses the possibility of undoing the Tsunoda-Lawson exchange.
Formula 1 | The futures of Max Verstappen and George Russell won’t become any more certain at the British GP. No - nothing, Toto Wolff emphasized on Sunday when (…)
Vasseur is anticipated to make his return at Silverstone.
Formula 1 | An insider from Ferrari anticipates that Frederic Vasseur will return this weekend at Silverstone, amidst ongoing speculation regarding his future in (…)
Montezemolo refutes any association with the F1 team.
Formula 1 | Luca di Montezemolo asserts that he will not take part in the management of McLaren's Formula 1 team. He was involved with the team for more than twenty years up until 2014, the (…)
Piastri: In Silverstone, I'll show everything I'm capable of.
At the recent Austrian Grand Prix, the McLaren team scored their fourth victory of the season with a one-two finish, and Lando Norris reduced his gap to Oscar Piastri in the standings to fifteen points. The championship leaders are ready to continue the battle at Silverstone.
Marko states that Verstappen's title aspirations are now 'finished.'
Formula 1 | The management of Max Verstappen has accepted that winning a fifth drivers' title in 2025 is now virtually unattainable. The Red Bull driver was (…)
Limited information available regarding Vasseur's departure from the paddock - report.
Formula 1 | Amid intense speculation concerning his future in the team, Frederic Vasseur abruptly disappeared from the paddock in Austria. Fred will not be (…)
Piastri expressed regret following the close call with Norris, according to Stella.
Formula 1 | Despite their incident two weeks prior in Canada, the title-contending McLaren pair engaged in a nearly flawless and thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle for (…)