McLaren supports Norris as mounting pressure follows Spa.

      "There was a minor issue."

      Oscar Piastri's victory at Spa has escalated the championship battle within McLaren, increasing the pressure on Lando Norris following several expensive mistakes on Sunday. In challenging wet conditions, Norris, who started from pole position, was caught off guard at the safety car restart and was overtaken decisively by teammate Piastri, who went on to win and extend his championship lead to 16 points.

      "He was caught sleeping," remarked Nico Rosberg on Sky, later adding, "Even later in the race, he made three additional mistakes that Hamilton or Verstappen likely wouldn't have made in the same situation." Norris, who communicated on the radio after being overtaken that he had "no pack"—referring to battery deployment—acknowledged uncertainty about what went wrong. "I need to review it with the team. I'm not sure," he said.

      McLaren CEO Zak Brown defended Norris, explaining to Rosberg, "We encountered a minor battery issue that we need to analyze, which I think affected him." When asked if the issue was exclusive to Norris, he replied, "Let me investigate, but we did experience some battery problems at the beginning."

      However, team principal Andrea Stella provided a more detailed explanation. "There was a slight anomaly that occurred on both sides," he stated. "It wasn't something that specifically penalized Lando compared to Oscar. The overtaking happened because it's quite challenging for the car leading the pack to maintain its position into corner five."

      The media widely applauded Piastri’s assertive maneuver. Gazzetta dello Sport remarked, "In the university of Formula 1, Oscar Piastri plays the professor." AS from Spain described it as "the maneuver that distinguishes good drivers from the chosen ones," while Mundo Deportivo stated, "Piastri showed once again that he was the smartest on the track."

      As Piastri pulls ahead in the standings, there have been calls for McLaren to support the Australian as the clear number one driver, but Stella dismissed this notion. "If I were seeking comfort, I wouldn’t be doing my job correctly," he said. "We aim to race openly. That allows both drivers to demonstrate their talent, ambition, and abilities."

      Stella added, "I have worked with several world champions throughout my career, and I believe Lando and Oscar are performing at an equal level. They both deserve to compete for the title."

      Brown, on the other hand, admitted that he is impressed with the 24-year-old Piastri. "He's a machine. The remarkable thing is that he drives aggressively yet still manages to finish every race," said the American.

      Criticism of Norris extended beyond Rosberg. Veteran journalist Ralf Bach from Auto Bild noted, "He was simply too cautious, but that’s not the way to become a world champion. It takes guts as well." Ralf Schumacher from Sky Deutschland shared a similar view, stating, "If Lando had been a bit wiser, he would have had the space he needed. He was just a bit too slow. Oscar was undeniably the better driver."

      Despite the internal competition, Brown remains committed to allowing them to race. "I look forward to more close battles between Lando and Oscar. May the best driver win."