McLaren's drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, faced a significant clash during the Italian Grand Prix, impacting their race results.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari took advantage of the situation, ultimately securing the victory.
Norris started the race from pole position, quickly taking the lead, while Piastri defended against George Russell from Mercedes.
However, Piastri's attempt to overtake Norris allowed Leclerc to move into second place and eventually take the lead. As the race progressed, Piastri initially led, followed closely by Leclerc and Norris.
In light of the incident, McLaren's Team Principal, Andrea Stella, has called for a thorough review to assess the implications of the clash between the two drivers. The team is looking to understand what went wrong and how to prevent similar situations in the future.
Stella shared his immediate thoughts on the incident between his drivers, revealing the need for reflection.
"In terms of expectation and the impression of the drivers, and also the overtaking itself, we will have to take a look with some calm, have a review together with them, and then we will assess the situation. And if there’s any learning to take from that, we will take it for the future," he said.
Despite showing strong performance throughout the race, McLaren was unable to convert that potential into a win.
"It’s disappointing in the sense that we had the performance to win the race. But it was a race that was a very close race between a one and two. Most cars went for the two. I think for Leclerc it was a little easier to take a gamble on the one-stop because he was the car following," Stella noted.
The team had opted for a two-stop strategy, while Ferrari's one-stop gamble paid off. Norris experienced a front-left tire lock-up, which influenced their decision, while Piastri's situation was more marginal but still led to a two-stop approach.
"For us, with Lando, we had a lock-up on the front left which meant the tyre was going, so we went clearly on a two-stopper. With Oscar, it was more marginal, but he had and we had concerns as well, so we went on a two," he said.
"We thought we would have time to recover the lead but Ferrari did a very good job. Leclerc drove very well, so we also have to acknowledge that competitors can do a good job and make, in this case, the one-stop work." He concluded on a positive note: "So well done to Ferrari, but a strong weekend for McLaren, overall a very positive weekend."
As the season continues, the relationship between Norris and Piastri will be crucial for McLaren's chances in the championship. Although the Italian Grand Prix was a missed opportunity, it could serve as a learning experience for the team moving forward.
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