“HE BETRAYED ME” – Angry Lando Norris BLAMES Oscar Piastri for NOT supporting him to beat Max Verstappen just before the Red Bull driver takes pole

Qualifying for the 2024 Italian Grand Prix was marked by a surprising controversy between the two McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Just before Max Verstappen took pole position at the Monza circuit, a visibly frustrated Norris launched harsh criticism towards his teammate, Piastri, accusing him of “betraying” him by not supporting him in his attempt to beat Verstappen in qualifying.

The situation came to a head in the final minutes of qualifying, when both Norris and Piastri had the opportunity to improve their times and challenge Verstappen for pole. According to Norris, the team strategy was clear: both drivers should work together to try to stop Verstappen’s advance and secure a better position on the grid. However, what seemed to be a collaboration quickly turned into a disagreement, with Norris accusing Piastri of not following the tactics and, in his opinion, hindering his effort.

“He betrayed me, I don’t know what he was thinking. He knew what he had to do, and what happened was that he left me hanging. He didn’t help me in what we needed to do to improve our position. It was clear that if we had both worked together, we could have given Max a good run, but instead it all went down the drain,” said Norris after qualifying, visibly angry and disappointed with his teammate’s performance.

Norris was referring to a key moment when Piastri, who was also on his final flying lap, did not allow Norris to get past him on track to take advantage of the slipstream. For McLaren drivers, that strategy of working together and taking advantage of slipstreams is key to improving positions in qualifying sessions, but Piastri was apparently not willing to collaborate in the way Norris had hoped.

For his part, Oscar Piastri was quick to respond to the accusations. The young Australian driver defended his actions, assuring that there was no bad intention behind his decision. “I’m not sure what Lando means by that. We all try to do what’s best for the team, but in the end, everyone has their own strategy and their own objectives. I did what I considered necessary for my own classification, and at no time did I want to harm Lando,” explained Piastri, trying to calm the waters after the conflict.

This disagreement between the two McLaren drivers has sparked a great deal of speculation in the Formula 1 world, with many fans and pundits debating the implications of the dispute within the team. The internal rivalry could have effects on McLaren’s performance in future races, especially if the tension between the two drivers is not resolved quickly. However, some analysts suggest that high emotions are common in Formula 1 and that the relationship between Norris and Piastri may recover as the season progresses.

What seems clear is that the competition for pole and points in Formula 1 is reaching ever-increasing levels of intensity, and tensions between teammates can be one of the most difficult facets for drivers to manage. With Verstappen continuing his dominance of the grid, any opportunity to slow his pace becomes even more crucial for the other teams, and team tactics and individual strategies will continue to be key factors in the standings. However, this episode also highlights the constant pressure drivers face, not only to compete with others, but also to maintain cohesion within their own teams.