Double harassment ends well for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Rain dominated Friday at the Canadian GP. In addition to the (not really representative) last place in the second free practice session – five seconds behind Fernando Alonso’s best time – Lando Norris had to report to the stewards after the session. As did his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. Both got away with a (different) black eye.

Norris and Piastri: Similar incident, different consequences

In separate incidents, both McLaren drivers took a shortcut in the final chicane of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and then failed to return correctly (around the bollard) to the 4.361-kilometre track: a violation of Article 12.2.1 i) of the International Sporting Code of Formula 1, a failure to follow the instructions of Race Director Niels Wittich.

Lando Norris had to go to the stewards at 6:45 p.m. local time, Oscar Piastri followed at 7:00 p.m. The Miami winner was finally given the all-clear at 8:12 p.m., and his shortcut had no further consequences. The reason: When Norris came off the track at turn 14, he touched the orange curb and was therefore not obliged to drive around the bollard.

As opposed to Oscar Piastri, who received a warning for what appeared to be a similar offence. The difference is the kerb. The Australian did not touch the inside of the kerb, which made his return to the track illegal.

For McLaren, among others, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve became a slippery affair on Friday, Photo: LAT Images

The stewards considered that Piastri had taken “appropriate measures in view of the weather conditions to avoid re-entering the track in an unsafe manner” as a mitigating circumstance. In addition, he had not gained any lasting advantage by doing so.

Lando Norris: Ferrari is one step ahead of McLaren in Canada

In sporting terms, as with the other teams, it is difficult to assess where McLaren stands in Montreal. “I think we look good, but it’s difficult to say,” Oscar Piastri ventures an optimistic forecast. “At least we’ve learned a few things.” Lando Norris is much more pessimistic.

“We drove the fewest laps of all,” said the Briton. “That’s suboptimal, the pace looked good, but it’s always difficult here.” Lando Norris completed 29 laps in both practice sessions, the problem is more the lack of laps on dry tracks. At least one of them in FP1 was good enough for the best time. “But I have the feeling that we’re not quite up to par, Ferrari is ahead of us.”

McLaren wasn’t the only one who had to go to the stewards after the second free practice session. Ferrari also made a faux pas with Charles Leclerc – with a not so fortunate outcome, at least financially. You can find more details in this article.