Championship hopes “very high” at McLaren ahead of Monza

With both championships sitting well within reach, Oscar Piastri says “confidence is high” at McLaren as he insists he’s “not just going to pull over for the next nine races” to lend his teammate a hand.

Fresh off the back of another hefty haul in Zandvoort, McLaren is now just 30 points away from stealing the constructors’ championship lead out of Red Bull’s hands.

McLaren’s 404-point total was bolstered by Lando Norris’ 22-second win at the Dutch Grand Prix, with Piastri crossing the line in P4 to become the highest points-earner across the last five race weekends.

With a strong run of form and new upgrades sending the team on an upward trajectory, this weekend at the Italian Grand Prix is an exciting one for the men and women in Papaya.

“I would say [the chances of McLaren winning the constructors’ championship are] very high,” Piastri said.

“I think we’ve clearly got a very quick car underneath us now… I mean, we have for a little while, but now it’s very quick.

“And yeah, I think me and Lando [Norris] have been scoring a lot of points consistently between the two of us.

“Of course, we’re still behind at the moment, you know, I think Red Bull will still be a tough challenge, but I think the confidence is high.”

And while Piastri’s focus is centred around bettering his team’s position, Norris has a higher target of his own.

“I’m very aware that there’s a chance for Lando to win the championship,” the #81 said.

“It is still a very big gap, of course, but it is possible.

“And I think, for myself, I’m still allowed to go for the best result possible, even if that is winning the race.”

Sitting 70 points behind Verstappen, Norris will need a perfect run to Abu Dhabi to achieve his first-ever world title, with a helping hand from his teammate potentially the key to becoming an F1 champion.

“Of course, [team orders] will be taken on a week-by-week basis and depending on what the gap is in some ways, so, for me, it doesn’t change much,” Piastri said.

“I will still go into the weekend trying to win the races if I can because, I mean — ok, the chance for me is very, very tough, but it’s still not zero.

“Let’s see what the next few races hold but, it’s something we will talk about quite a lot I would imagine.”

Team orders have come into play at McLaren already this season, although not in favour of Norris.

The Hungarian Grand Prix was the perfect example of how not to lend a hand to your teammate, with Norris refusing to give the position back to Piastri for 20 laps.

The moment, although putting a slight dampener on Piastri’s maiden win, was a learning curve for the McLaren pit wall.

Now likely having to back Norris up in the closing stages of the season, the boy from Brighton says it will be a much more “detailed” conversation if a switch were to arise.

“It depends a bit on the situation,” he said.

“I’m not just going to pull over for the next nine races and let him go past at every opportunity. 

“I don’t think that’s something he would want either.

“So, I think if it gets very, very tight at the front and you know… nothing’s impossible, it could still be me that is in the fight — it’s optimistic thinking but you’ve got to be optimistic.

“If it starts getting very, very tight, then yes, the considerations become much more detailed. 

“But for now, still with a lot of races to go, a lot of points for Lando to make up, you know, I’m still able to try and achieve the best results I can which is ultimately helpful for the team as well.”

Those post-summer “best results” could start with a win in Monza, an achievement encouraged by Norris’ outright dominance in the Netherlands.

“The car would have been very quick in Zandvoort even without the parts that we put on, so I think, of course, when you’ve got bits that make the car faster then it’s always a good thing, Piastri said.

“But I think they’re definitely not the golden bullet for our success last weekend, it’s a little helping hand in what was already a very strong package.”

Piastri had an unfortunate run during his first F1 outing at Monza after contact with Lewis Hamilton left him in the latter half of the top ten. 

Hoping for a cleaner run, Round 16 is now an exciting prospect for the 23-year-old.

“I’ve raced in Monza a few times in the junior series, and it’s one a lot of us enjoy due to how fast it is. 

“I’m very much looking forward to racing in front of the Italian fans once again as it brings such a good atmosphere. 

“We have a great opportunity to finish the double header in the best way possible.”

The first practice session of the weekend kicks off tonight at 9:30 PM.

Image: Alastair Staley / LAT Images

2024 Italian Grand Prix Schedule:

Friday, August 30th:

FP1: 21:30 – 22:30

Saturday, August 31st:

FP2: 01:00 – 02:00

FP3: 20:30 – 21:30

Sunday, September 1st:

Qualifying: 00:00 – 01:00

Race: 23:00

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