Piastri apologised after Norris near-miss – Stella

Jun.30 (GMM) Despite their clash two weeks ago in Canada, the title-duelling McLaren duo managed a near-seamless and exciting wheel-to-wheel tussle for Austrian GP victory.

Pole sitter and eventual winner Lando Norris was repeatedly challenged by championship leader Oscar Piastri – including one particular near-miss.

“I’m proud of how Oscar and Lando handled the situation,” team boss Andrea Stella, overseeing a policy of driver equality amid the so-called ‘papaya rules’ framework, said after the Austrian GP one-two.

“There was only one situation in turn four where it got tight,” the Italian told Sky Deutschland.

“We sent a message to Oscar that it was a bit too tight. I’m also proud of Oscar for apologising for that action immediately after the chequered flag.

“That speaks volumes about the character of both of them and the sportsmanlike behaviour they both display.”

Indeed, after Norris ran into Piastri’s rear wheel in Canada and retired, he immediately apologised to his Australian teammate and team.

The incident resulted in what Norris admitted was an intense post-race debriefing. “The debriefing after Canada was about small incidents,” Stella insists.

“It just shows that we can simply leave a little more distance between each other. We don’t have to be 100 percent perfect, and we’re still fast enough.”

Such was McLaren’s dominance at the weekend in Austria that Max Verstappen and his Red Bull bosses have all basically written off their ongoing title chances.

“The two McLarens showed that we are definitely the fastest cars,” Stella admits.

Sunday also proved that Norris is able to bounce back from a setback, notwithstanding his paddock reputation for a weaker mentality compared to the unflappable Piastri.

“Not much has changed in Lando,” Stella insisted. “In Monaco, he took the win from pole. What happened in Canada was unfortunate, but now he’s taken pole and the win here.”

As for Piastri, his championship lead over Norris is down to 15 points.

“I did my best,” the Australian said. “Perhaps we pushed the limits too far at times, but it was fun, and that’s what we’re here for – to drive freely and fight for the win.”

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