Just In: McLaren issue verdict on Norris vs. Piastri after Ve…read more
McLaren issue verdict on Norris vs. Piastri after thrilling Verstappen duel
McLaren’s racing director Andrea Stella insists there was no difference in how Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri approached their assault on Max Verstappen during Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, despite the contrasting lines each driver took in battling the reigning world champion.
Speaking after a thrilling opening stint that saw Verstappen fend off both McLarens with tenacious defending, Stella said both his drivers had shown the same level of calculated aggression. “Lando went around the outside at Turn 2, Oscar attacked in DRS on the straight—two different tactics but the same mindset,” he explained. “They were both disciplined, measured, and understood exactly when to push and when to bide their time.”
Verstappen led into Turn 1 but ran wide under pressure from Norris, forcing the Briton to back out and drop to sixth. From there Norris had to pick his way back through Alex Albon and the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, while Piastri—having already dispatched Kimi Antonelli—closed to within a whisker of Verstappen on Lap 5.
Piastri’s perseverance paid off on Lap 14 when he finally slipped past Verstappen into the lead, only for the Red Bull driver to hold firm against Norris, who pounced on the very next lap at Turn 11. Although Norris ran wide on the exit and surrendered the place, he re-attacked immediately and completed the overtake on Lap 15.
“\[Max was] fighting hard—it’s up to him to do that,” Norris said after finishing third. He added later that Verstappen had perhaps been “a little too eager” in his defence, hinting that the four-time champion’s tactics may have cost him in the long run.
Indeed, a badly timed Virtual Safety Car shortly thereafter allowed Russell to slip through on fresher rubber, relegating Verstappen to fourth by the flag. Piastri went on to secure a milestone victory for McLaren, with Norris completing the one-two haul in what Stella called “one of the strongest team performances we’ve had all season.”
With Melbourne up next and the championship fight already heating up, McLaren will take heart from the fact that both their drivers can match Verstappen’s intensity—no matter which line they choose.
