Lando Norris secured a podium finish at the recent Grand Prix in Italy. He inherited second place from teammate Oscar Piastri, who was instructed by the team to let him pass in the final stages. The British driver had lost significant time due to a poor pit stop. However, Italian fans disagreed with this move and booed him during the podium ceremony. Norris regrets the jeering and insists he always aims to come across as a nice guy.
The controversial team orders from McLaren in Monza continue to stir debate. Opinions vary on the so-called ‘papaya rules’ and the swapping of positions following a botched pit stop. Piastri, who had been trailing Norris throughout the race, was the first to be called in, on the condition that he would not overtake his teammate. However, when the Englishman came in to change his tires a lap later, the plan fell apart. Due to a slow pit stop, he ended up behind Piastri. McLaren then intervened and instructed both drivers to swap positions on the track.
Boos from the Crowd for Norris
The passionate Italian fans did not let it go; when Lando Norris was called onto the podium, there was loud booing. In the run-up to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he was asked about the jeering. “It’s never nice, but it didn’t really bother me,” Norris responded to PA news agency. “Usually, the Italian fans have always been very good to me,” he added.When asked in jest if he was pursuing a bad boy image, Norris laughed. “It has nothing to do with a bad boy image,” he explained. “It’s not like I consciously did something, it wasn’t even my decision to switch the cars. I would definitely say that I find it annoying not to be liked. Of course, I want to come across as a good guy and a nice guy. That being said, you can’t always please everyone, and I’m okay with that. I always try to make a good impression, I value that a lot.
