Piastri insists ‘we’re all good’ after heated Monza battle with Norris

Oscar Piastri has dismissed any suggestion that McLaren’s internal harmony was dented by his heated battle with Lando Norris at Monza, revealing that the two teammates have already put their on-track tensions firmly behind them.

The McLaren pair endured a rather eventful Italian Grand Prix weekend, with Piastri recovering from a three-place grid penalty before finding himself locked in a late fight with Norris for fourth place.

Norris eventually came out on top on the final lap, but not before the two McLarens had traded some uncomfortable moments.

At one point, Norris was forced onto the grass and voiced his frustration over team radio, although he later acknowledged that he did not believe Piastri had crossed the line.

As far as Piastri is concerned, however, there is nothing to carry into this weekend’s inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.

From Monza tension to paddle partners

Asked about the state of relations with Norris, Piastri offered a particularly convincing demonstration that there is no lingering grudge.

“Yeah we’re all good. I think operationally on my side of things, it wasn’t our smoothest weekend for sure. And there was definitely some frustrating moments,” Piastri said.

“I think in the race we obviously got a bit close at points. But we’re all fine.

“Lando and I went to the airport together and played paddle with each other during the week. And we chose to be on the same team! So we’re all good.”

The pair’s relationship will inevitably be tested again as the season progresses, particularly with the pair regularly separated by tiny margins, but Piastri insists close racing does not automatically translate into lasting animosity.

“When you’re close to one another, there’s always going to be moments that are a little bit stressful. Probably more for the pit wall than for us in the car, but we’re all good,” he added.

For McLaren, that will be welcome news. With its drivers frequently operating in the same patch of asphalt, the team needs both to fight hard and maintain enough trust to keep those battles from becoming something more serious.

Piastri finding a way forward

While the Monza confrontation provided the headlines, Piastri also left Italy with something potentially more valuable: evidence that he is beginning to unlock a car that has not always felt natural to him this year.

The Australian admitted that the 2026 McLaren has demanded more adaptation than its predecessor, with several approaches tested in an effort to find a direction that better suits his driving.

“I’ve certainly not gelled as well with this year’s car as last year,” he said.

“I think everyone has to change their driving style a bit from year to year, obviously that’s our job. That’s part of why we’re here is because we need to adapt.

“And definitely this year’s been a bit tricky in trying to get through a few things, and we’ve tried a few different directions. Sometimes you just need time to find the right one.”

Monza, though, offered a small breakthrough. Piastri believes McLaren discovered some avenues that may not have transformed the car into an easier machine to drive, but did help him extract more performance from it.

“I feel like Monza, we at least found a few things that didn’t necessarily make things easier, but made us faster,” he explained.

“So that’s the biggest thing really. And hopefully we can we can take that forward.”

That progress will now be tested on completely unfamiliar ground.

The new Madring circuit has existed largely as a simulator exercise for the drivers ahead of its Formula 1 debut, meaning Friday will provide the first opportunity to discover how closely the virtual version resembles reality.

• Read also: Vowles fears Madrid’s ‘car killer’ track will bite hard

Piastri is understandably curious about what awaits.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what it’s like,” he said.

“Obviously we’ve done our sim running, but especially on a street circuit, it’s always a bit different being on the real thing, especially when the walls actually do something.

“It should be good.”

With Piastri seventh in the championship and McLaren still fighting at the sharp end, the Madring will offer another opportunity to turn his recent progress into results.

And if the Australian is right, the biggest battle inside McLaren this weekend should once again be fought on the circuit – rather than in the team garage.

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