Lando Norris booed on podium after McLaren team orders at Italian Grand Prix
By Philip Duncan, PA F1 Correspondent, Monza
Lando Norris was booed after McLaren ordered his team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri aside as this season’s world championship battle took a controversial twist at Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
Norris, who finished runner-up to Red Bull’s winner Max Verstappen, backed McLaren’s contentious move to usher Piastri out of the way after the Englishman fell behind him following a slow late pit-stop.
However, Norris was jeered by the Tifosi gathered underneath the podium as he collected his trophy for crossing the line in second, a place ahead of Piastri.
“I heard them, but I don’t know what I am meant do,” Norris said. “The cheers were louder than the boos, and that is the most important thing.”
Norris had been on course to finish a comfortable and deserved runner-up until a faulty front-left wheel gun at his sole pit-stop left him stationary for 5.9 seconds.
Piastri assumed second place and the opportunity to extend his championship lead from 34 points to 37.
However, a week after Norris’ engine failure in Zandvoort saw him leave the Netherlands empty-handed, McLaren called on Piastri to trade positions – a decision that did not sit comfortably with the Australian.
“We said that a slow pit-stop was part of racing, so I don’t really get what changed here,” he said, before adding: “But I will do it.”
On the 49th lap of 53, Piastri allowed Norris through. The swap provoked amusement from Verstappen, who crossed the line 19.2 seconds clear.
“Just because of a slow pit-stop?” he laughed when informed that Norris and Piastri had traded positions. Norris now trails Piastri by 31 points with eight rounds remaining.
Asked if he was worried Piastri would not let him by, Norris replied: “No, because it is what we decided as a team and we all agreed on.”
He continued: “Every situation is different so it is pretty stupid to say that a precedent has been set.
“We are not idiots and we have plans for different things.
“If there were four cars between me and Oscar, of course he is not going to let me back past, and that is correct. But if there is a situation where we are racing and you can be fair, you would expect to be fair as a team.
“Today was not my fault. If I came flat out into my box and I hit all my mechanics I would not expect to get the position back. This was out of my control.
“I don’t want to win this way, and the same with Oscar. But we do what we think is correct as a team, no matter what people say and what their opinions are, and we will stick with that.”
Norris has attracted criticism for a series of poor getaways over the past 18 months, but here he was quickly alongside pole-sitter Verstappen’s Red Bull on the 200mph drag to the Variante del Rettifilo.
Verstappen held his line and, when the tarmac narrowed, Norris dropped two wheels on to the grass but carried enough momentum to remain level under braking for the chicane.
Norris’ McLaren occupied the inside of the first bend and Verstappen took to the escape road before rejoining the track and retaining his lead.
“What the f***,” Norris said. “What is this idiot doing? Come on. He’s put me on the grass and then he’s just cut the corner.”
At the start of the second lap, Verstappen allowed Norris through to avoid a possible stewards’ investigation. But Verstappen was not ready to let Norris off the hook and he breezed back ahead on lap four.
Verstappen never looked back as he claimed Red Bull’s first grand prix triumph of the post-Christian Horner era.
“It was nerve-rackingly close,” said Norris of his opening-corner tussle with Verstappen. “But that is what you expect from Max. In the end, his pace was far too good.”
Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari, one place ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell. Lewis Hamilton made up four places from 10th – after he served a five-place grid penalty – to finish sixth.