Martin Brundle Makes Admission as Oscar Piastri Loses Ground to Lando Norris

Oscar Piastri’s fight for the Formula 1 championship took a hit at the Italian Grand Prix as teammate Lando Norris finished ahead, denying him three additional points in the standings.



Norris, who opted for a higher downforce setup during qualifying, converted his advantage into race pace, comfortably keeping Piastri at bay over the course of the event.



Late drama arose when a pit stop shuffle briefly allowed Piastri to move ahead after Norris suffered a slow stop. McLaren, however, instructed Piastri to hand the position back, sparking debate over the team’s handling of strategy. Team boss Andrea Stella confirmed that the decision-making process will be reviewed.



Brundle Highlights Piastri’s Bold Move



Despite missing out on points, Piastri earned praise for a daring on-track maneuver against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.



At the start, a poor exit from the first chicane cost him track position, allowing Leclerc to slip past. But Piastri responded with an audacious move around the outside of the first Lesmo to reclaim third place.



“Piastri lost out a little behind this scuffle and Leclerc passed him, only for Piastri to sail around the outside of the first Lesmo corner in hugely impressive style,” said Martin Brundle in his Sky Sports column.



Brundle highlighted the difficulty of executing such a move with cold tires and a heavy fuel load, praising Piastri’s control and judgment.



Reputation for Brave Overtakes



The Italian Grand Prix was not the first time Piastri showcased his overtaking prowess this season.



At his home race in Melbourne, he overtook Lewis Hamilton in damp conditions, going around the outside of Turn 9 to take ninth place. The move was widely praised as a sign of his racecraft and confidence under pressure.



Brundle added that Piastri’s duels with rivals like Leclerc showed “the control and judgement (and trust) these frontrunning megastars have is quite something to observe.”



Championship Outlook



Piastri’s consistency has kept him in the championship lead with 324 points, ahead of Norris on 293. Max Verstappen sits in third with 230 points, while George Russell and Charles Leclerc round out the top five.



The Australian has already secured wins in China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Miami, bouncing back from a difficult home race where he skated off track in wet conditions and finished near the back.



With eight rounds left, the title battle between Piastri and Norris appears set to intensify, with both McLaren drivers eager to prove themselves in one of the closest intra-team rivalries in recent memory.
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