Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes that Lando Norris needs to ramp up his aggression to seriously contend for the championship. Despite Norris having a strong season, Montoya sees room for improvement.
Lost Valuable Points in Monza
During the race at the Monza circuit, where Norris started from pole position, the British driver was caught off guard by teammate Oscar Piastri. This overtake allowed Charles Leclerc to pass as well. Although Norris finished third and gained points on Max Verstappen, he lost potentially valuable points. Montoya points to this situation as an example where Norris should have been more aggressive.
Aggression and Team Orders
Montoya emphasized that aggression can be a decisive factor in the title hunt. “Piastri set the tone with his aggressive driving style, and that’s what Norris needs to do,” Montoya sees this as an opportunity for Norris to intensify the championship battle. During the Italian Grand Prix, the so-called ‘papaya rules’ played a significant role at McLaren. This rule gave both drivers the freedom to race against each other, provided there were no incidents or damage. However, Montoya believes that Piastri took better advantage of this situation than Norris. “Piastri knew that Norris was vulnerable because he’s fighting for the championship, and he capitalized on that.”
Furthermore, the race in Monza reignited the discussion about team orders at McLaren. Norris previously lost points in Hungary because he had to give up the lead to Piastri on the team’s instruction. Montoya believes that McLaren needs to seriously consider implementing team orders to assist Norris in his title fight. “The team will have to talk about it. If they want to win the world title with Norris, they need to intervene before Red Bull comes back at full strength,” Montoya said in an interview with AS Colombia.
