Stella critical of Verstappen following ‘unnecessary’ Piastri clash

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has criticised Max Verstappen’s “unnecessary” overtake attempt on Oscar Piastri at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The pair clashed on the opening lap of the race around the Yas Marina Circuit, with Piastri being sent to the back of the field as a result.

The Australian managed to recover to 10th place, however Lando Norris’ victory was enough to seal McLaren’s first constructors’ title in 26 years.

With Piastri out of the equation, Norris was forced to do McLaren’s heavy lifting to ensure it could take home the championship.

“The first thought I had after checking corner one is that it felt unnecessary,” Stella told media including RacingNews365, reflecting on the incident.

“When you have teams fighting for the championship… it’s the pinnacle. It’s the time to harvest the efforts of a season and that [clash] felt a little unnecessary.

“But sometimes adversities give you the opportunity to show your strengths and I think that’s exactly what happened today.”

Stella praises Norris, Piastri

However, Stella hailed Piastri’s attitude to complete a comeback to the points while stating Norris’ drive to victory was the Briton at his very best.

“Oscar never gave up, and he came back to score a point that could have been very important,” he said.

“That could have been decisive even in case of a swap between Carlos and Lando.

“Lando showed his strengths, delivering a perfect weekend and a perfect race when all the pressure was on him and he stayed very calm on the radio.h

“He considered some difficult options that we gave him, like when we said ‘would you pit in case of a safety car for a new set’

“So I think we saw Lando at his best, and his best is just incredibly competitive.”