‘I just let him go’: F1 rival says he ‘could’ve quite easily’ beat Aussie rookie in brutal statement

Lando Norris insists he “could have quite easily” kept ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri instead of allowing the Australian rookie past in the dying stages of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Piastri started the race in eighth on the grid but his and Norris’ time on the track was derailed almost instantly as the Aussie had to pit on the opening lap due to damage on his front wing.

Norris then came in on the third lap to replace the same part of his car.

Piastri then managed to pass Norris on lap 45, but his teammate immediately got back in front on the next corner.

In a show of faith in the rookie, McLaren ordered Norris not to fight Piastri, and he eventually let his younger teammate overtake him with a couple of laps to go.

“They have been on the team radio to Lando Norris saying don’t make it too difficult for Oscar Piastri,” Chandhok said.

“That’s an interesting call, the rookie being given free reign to fight the No. 1 at McLaren.

“This would be a quite a statement if Piastri could make his way past Lando Norris,” Martin Brundle said on Sky Sports.

After getting past Norris, Piastri overtook Williams rookie Logan Sargeant on the last lap to finish 15th. Norris finished 17th.

But speaking after the race, Norris was reluctant to offer any praise for his teammate.

“I could have quite easily probably kept the position at the end and got past the Williams (of Logan Sargeant) but yeah, I just let him go in the end,” Norris said.

“It would be different if I was fighting for points, but 16th and 17th, it doesn’t really matter.”

Coupled with his qualifying performance, it was an impressive second race weekend for Piastri after engine failure cruelled his debut in Bahrain.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won his fifth Grand Prix, ahead of Max Verstappen, but the Dutchman scored an extra point for fastest lap to keep his lead in the drivers’ championship.

Fernando Alonso crossed the line third and was celebrating two podium finishes to start the season — and his 100th F1 podium overall.

But after standing on the podium, he was handed a 10-second penalty for not correctly serving a penalty during the race, elevating George Russell to third.

Saudi Arabian GP results

1) Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

2) Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

4) George Russell (Mercedes)

5) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

6) Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

7) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

8) Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

9) Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

10) Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

11) Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)

12) Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

13) Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo

14) Nyck De Vries (AlphaTauri)

15) Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

16) Logan Sargeant (Williams)

17) Lando Norris (McLaren)

18) Valtteri Bottas

DNFs: Alex Albon, Lance Stroll