Lando Norris reveals that McLaren is unfazed by the criticism following the Italian Grand Prix. The racing team was criticized after the race at Monza due to the team order in the final stages of the race. McLaren had asked Oscar Piastri to give up his position to Norris. According to the Brit, the team doesn’t care that many people disagreed with McLaren’s decision: ‘They can say what they want’.
The most talked-about moment during the recent Italian GP was the controversial team order from McLaren in the final stages of the race. Due to a slow pit stop by Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri had taken second place, but was then instructed by the team to let the Brit pass. The Australian complied, allowing Norris to subsequently close the gap in the championship standings.
Piastri stated in the press conference in Baku that McLaren has internally discussed the incident, although the Australian did not disclose what the mutual agreements within the British racing team are from now on. The team received a lot of criticism for the team order in the weeks following the Italian Grand Prix, including from former driver David Coulthard. According to the Scot, the instruction to Piastri felt ‘a bit like manipulation’.
Norris Unfazed by Controversy
Norris is not surprised that the incident has caused such a stir. “Not in the world we live in today, because that’s all people want to do, you know, be negative and talk badly about others,” responds the McLaren driver when asked about the negative reactions. “Of course, you need headlines. You also need people to read things. So for me, it was no surprise at all.”
‘Not Our Problem’
However, the criticism of McLaren’s decision in Monza has no impact on the team’s further approach, Norris reveals immediately. “We continue to do things our way, whether people agree with it or not. It’s not our problem and we really don’t care, so we’re satisfied. We focus on ourselves. Of course, the team tries to do well. Whether people ultimately agree with it is not our problem. We want it to be fair. We want it to be equal for both of us and then people can say what they want.”
