Andrea Stella gives his take on Oscar Piastri’s ‘cheeky’ comment and how McLaren will manage intra-team fight going forward

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has given his take on Oscar Piastri’s reaction to Lando Norris gaining an unexpected tow from him during Qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix, with the Australian heard calling the incident “cheeky” over the team radio.

After setting the pace in the Q1 and Q2 segments of the session, Piastri initially looked to have secured provisional pole during the opening runs of Q3 – before Norris went even faster, having taken a tow from his team mate in the final corner.

READ MORE: Stella hails Piastri’s progress after 1-2 in Spain as he explains ‘risk’ posed by McLaren’s strategy

When warned over the radio that Norris would pass him after crossing the line, Piastri dryly responded: “Cheeky”. Piastri went on to beat his team mate in the second runs, securing his fourth pole position of the season.

However, when asked later in the weekend – after a race in which Piastri led home Norris in a 1-2 result – about how much that Qualifying moment had acted as a reminder of the intra-team challenges McLaren could face during the rest of the season, Stella played down its significance and suggested that the onus was more on the squad’s communication.