Sky F1’s Martin Brundle praised McLaren driver Oscar Piastri for his “killer instinct” as displayed on the opening lap of the Italian Grand Prix following his aggressive move on teammate Lando Norris.
Piastri, who started his race on the front row alongside Norris, made a bold move on the outside of the latter at Monza’s Turn 4 Variante chicane to take command of proceedings.
Surprised by the unexpected pass, Norris lost his momentum and was overtaken by future race winner Charles Leclerc, a change in the running order that would eventually impact the entire complexion of the race.
An impressed Brundle believes that Piastri's decision to prioritize his own success demonstrated a ruthless determination that is characteristic of a true “racer’s mentality”.
“Piastri clearly has no interest in Norris' world championship chances against Max Verstappen, which we'd already witnessed in Hungary when he firmly seized the lead in the first corner,” Brundle wrote in his post-race column for Sky Sports.
“The racer in me admires this attitude. That's why Piastri won championships and ended up in a race-winning F1 car.”
For Brundle, Piastri's actions are a testament to his uncompromising nature as a competitor.
“The last thing which will excite him is Norris becoming world champion in the same car,” added the former Grand Prix driver.
“That doesn't mean he won't help out at some point, and indeed that he hasn't helped out here and there already, but that racer's mentality and killer instinct is all important.”
©McLaren
Reflecting on the intense competition within McLaren, Brundle raised an intriguing question.
“I remember saying in commentary in Hungary, if the roles had been reversed, would Piastri have handed Norris the lead back, and I really don't know the answer,” he said.
“I do know that many ruthless and selfish world champions I've raced against wouldn't have.”
As the F1 circus moves on to Azerbaijan, Norris finds himself 62 points adrift of Verstappen, with eight rounds remaining.
The what-ifs of the season loom large—had Norris won in Hungary instead of yielding to Piastri, and finished ahead of him at Monza, the gap to Verstappen could have been a more manageable 54 points.
But in the high-stakes world of Formula 1, there are no guarantees. For Brundle, Piastri's performance at Monza was yet another reminder that the path to greatness is often paved with bold moves and an unrelenting drive to win, no matter the cost.
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