In the fraught final moments of qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix last weekend, McLaren's plan was for Oscar Piastri to run ahead of team-mate Lando Norris on-track, giving him the benefit of a 'tow' on the straight. But Piastri locked a wheel into the first corner, ran over the asphalt run-off at the chicane, and aborted his lap.
Naturally there were those who concluded that this was a cynical attempt to spoil his team-mate's lap, since Piastri – with a tow from Norris on his first run – had set a time that would be good enough for provisional third on the grid after the chequered flag. Norris reckoned that running in clear air at the front of his field cost him three tenths of a second on a track where slipstreaming is essential.
