Eddie Jordan believes Oscar Piastri defeated his teammate Lando Norris at the Italian Grand Prix.
Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan believes Lando Norris was “cunningly defeated” by Oscar Piastri after a brilliant start from McLaren at Monza, where the team seemingly “forgot” about the second chicane. McLaren locked out the front row at the Italian Grand Prix, and with Max Verstappen and Red Bull falling back to the second row, it presented a huge opportunity for both Norris and McLaren.
Eddie Jordan claims that Oscar Piastri “defeated” Lando Norris.
The McLaren duo made a great start and held onto the top two positions, but at the second chicane, Piastri made a bold move to take the lead from Norris. This successful maneuver left Norris vulnerable, allowing Charles Leclerc from Ferrari to pass him at the first Lesmo.
Leclerc ultimately secured a victory for Ferrari at their home Grand Prix with a strategic masterclass involving a single pit stop. Piastri finished second, while Norris came in third after setting the fastest lap, reducing Verstappen’s championship lead to 62 points.
Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, Jordan described the performance of the McLaren duo at the start as “fascinating” but claimed that McLaren seemed to forget about the second chicane where Piastri overtook Norris.
Jordan said, “As a former team boss, I can tell you that the team had a long discussion. ‘Okay guys, we’ve locked out the front row. Whoever makes the best and fastest move, don’t challenge them into the first corner, and make sure you cover other areas wherever you are on the track.’
“So, it was perfectly executed, and the way it worked was simply fascinating. Oscar did a brilliant job, moving to the left, blocking any potential moves from Ferrari or anyone else.”
“But then, in the second corner, I think the team forgot about it because Oscar made what I believe was an unexpected overtake. That was the difference; it was very calm, very cool, and very clean, and he managed to get past.”
Jordan believes Norris will “always remember” Monza as the place where Piastri “defeated” him, and that it’s an important lesson. Jordan added, “If Lando is to become worthy of being a World Champion, he has to learn these little things.”
“He’s faced Max before, and he learned from that because his pace right now is incredible, but he learned something at Monza, and he will always remember Monza because his teammate defeated him.”
“That’s it. In my opinion, Oscar was brilliant.” he added.
There are eight races left in the 2024 F1 season, and McLaren’s championship hopes continue, with Red Bull holding a narrow lead of just eight points in the Constructors’ Championship.
