Piastri expressed regret following the close call with Norris, according to Stella.
"We communicated to Oscar that it was slightly too tight."
Despite their previous confrontation two weeks ago in Canada, the McLaren teammates engaged in a thrilling and nearly flawless battle for victory in the Austrian GP. Lando Norris, who started from pole and ultimately won, faced repeated challenges from championship leader Oscar Piastri, including one particularly close moment.
Team principal Andrea Stella expressed pride in how both Oscar and Lando managed the situation, as he emphasizes driver equality under the so-called 'papaya rules' following the team's one-two finish in Austria. He noted, "There was only one situation in turn four where it got tight," while speaking to Sky Deutschland. "We communicated to Oscar that it was a bit too tight. I’m also proud of Oscar for immediately apologizing for that incident right after the race.
"That reflects the character of both drivers and their sportsmanship." After Norris collided with Piastri’s rear wheel in Canada, leading to his retirement, he quickly apologized to his Australian teammate and the team. This incident led to what Norris described as an intense post-race debriefing. Stella remarked, "The debriefing after Canada focused on minor incidents. It simply shows that we can allow a little more space between ourselves. We don't have to be perfectly precise to still be competitive."
McLaren's impressive performance in Austria led Verstappen and his Red Bull team to essentially concede their championship hopes. "The two McLarens proved that we are certainly the fastest cars," Stella admitted. Sunday also demonstrated Norris's ability to recover from setbacks, despite his reputation in the paddock for having a weaker mentality compared to the unshakable Piastri.
"Not much has changed with Lando," Stella asserted. "In Monaco, he won from pole. What happened in Canada was unfortunate, but now he has secured pole and the win here." Meanwhile, Piastri's lead over Norris in the championship standings has narrowed to 15 points. "I did my best," the Australian stated. "Perhaps we pushed the limits a bit too far at times, but it was enjoyable, and that’s what we're here for - to race freely and compete for victory."
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