Piastri dismisses sabotage claims after brake lock-up cost Norris a tow at Monza

Oscar Piastri has firmly denied deliberately sabotaging Lando Norris’s qualifying lap at the Italian Grand Prix, conceding only that his reaction to a brake lock-up at the first chicane could have been handled better.

The incident occurred during the closing moments of Q3 at Monza, where McLaren’s plan had been for Piastri to lead Norris down the straight and provide a crucial tow. Instead, Piastri locked a wheel into the first corner, ran across the asphalt run-off, and immediately abandoned his lap — leaving Norris to run in clean air at the head of the field.

Norris estimated that the lack of a slipstream cost him three tenths of a second on a circuit where aerodynamic assistance is particularly valuable. He was ultimately classified eighth on the grid. Piastri, who had already secured a provisional third using a tow from Norris on his earlier run, started sixth after picking up a separate penalty for impeding Liam Lawson’s Red Bull earlier in the session.

Some observers pointed to the fact that Piastri pulled up immediately after taking to the run-off, arguing he could still have rejoined the lap to offer Norris some assistance further around the circuit. Speaking to media ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Piastri acknowledged that possibility but rejected any suggestion of intent.

“Yes, there probably was,” he said. “But when you lock up and miss the corner, the first thing you think about is how to get out of the way, not do anything else. Yes, in hindsight, maybe I could have done things a bit differently, but I think in the moment, to expect anything else was probably a pretty big ask, in my opinion.”

Piastri also pointed to a structural problem that left both McLarens at a disadvantage before either driver had turned a wheel. Because the team’s garage sits at the far end of the pitlane from the exit, McLaren found itself sending its cars out first and second — the worst possible position on a track where the slipstream is so decisive.

“We were kind of doomed before we even started our laps,” Piastri said, “but yes, we could have done a bit better.”

Team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the logistical difficulty while stopping short of using it as a full excuse. “At no point should this be an excuse,” Stella said, “but when you are at the first garage, you need to be a little bit careful about leaving too late. That’s also why we found ourselves being first — but probably we have to review the margins we adopted.”

The episode has drawn fresh attention to the internal dynamics at McLaren as both drivers remain in contention during a competitive stretch of the season, though Piastri was clear that the lock-up was a straightforward driving error rather than a calculated move against his team-mate.