Lando Norris stated that McLaren had to internally review the execution of qualifying for the Italian GP. The Brit ended up starting only eighth in Monza after a series of events in Q3 that prevented the team from taking advantage of one of the circuit’s main weapons: the slipstream.
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In the final part of the session, Norris gave the slipstream to Oscar Piastri on his first fast lap. The expectation was that the strategy would be reversed on the next attempt, but the Australian locked his wheels and ran wide at the first chicane right at the start of the second lap. As a result, Norris was left without the benefit of reciprocal slipstreaming precisely at the most important moment of qualifying.
The problem is also related to McLaren’s position in the pit lane. As the current constructors’ champion, the team is positioned near the start of the pit exit and, when the clock is running, needs to be one of the first to put its cars on track. In Monza, where slipstreaming on the long straights can represent a significant difference in lap time, this condition becomes especially unfavorable.
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After qualifying, team principal Andrea Stella highlighted the need for more precise execution. Before the Spanish GP, at the brand-new Madrid circuit, Norris was again questioned about the issue, since the 550-meter pit lane of the circuit also presents a similar challenge.
Despite the frustration, the F1 drivers’ champion sees the problem as an acceptable consequence of McLaren’s success. Norris, however, acknowledged there was room for improvement: “I’d rather have this problem and win a championship than not have it; it’s a fair price to pay, but I believe we could have done a better job last weekend by not going out first.”
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